THE    UPANISHADS 


BY  SWAMI  PARAMANANDA 

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THE  UPANISHADS 

TRANSLATED   AND    COMMENTATED 


BY 
SWAMI    PARAMANANDA 


FROM   THE  ORIGINAL  SANSKRIT  TEXT 


VOLUME  I 

THIRD  EDITION 
Enlarged 


PUBLISHED  BY 
THE  VEDANTA  CENTRE 

BOSTON  •  MASS  •  U  •  S  •  A 


COPYRIGHT,     1919,    BY 
SWAMI    PARAMANANDA 


THE-PLIMPTON-PKESS 
N  OHWOOD-MASS-U-S-A 


Annex 

5015857 


VOLUME  IS 
REVERENTLY    DEDICATED   TO   ALL   SEEKERS 
OF   TRUTH   AND   LOVERS    OF   WISDOM 


PREFACE 

A  HE  translator's  idea  of  rendering  the 
Upanishads  into  clear  simple  English,  ac- 
cessible to  Occidental  readers,  had  its  origin 
in  a  visit  paid  to  a  Boston  friend  in  1909. 
The  gentleman,  then  battling  with  a  fatal 
malady,  took  from  his  library  shelf  a  trans- 
lation of  the  Upanishads  and,  opening  it, 
expressed  deep  regret  that  the  obscure  and 
unfamiliar  form  shut  from  him  what  he 
felt  to  be  profound  and  vital  teaching. 

The  desire  to  unlock  the  closed  doors  of 
this  ancient  treasure  house,  awakened  at 
that  time,  led  to  a  series  of  classes  on  the 
Upanishads  at  The  Vedanta  Centre  of 
Boston  during  its  early  days  in  St.  Botolph 
Street.  The  translation  and  commentary 
then  given  were  transcribed  and,  after 
studious  revision,  were  published  in  the 
Centre's  monthly  magazine,  "The  Message 
of  the  East,"  in  1913  and  1914.  Still 
further  revision  has  brought  it  to  its  present 
form. 


8  Preface 

So  far  as  was  consistent  with  a  faithful 
rendering  of  the  Sanskrit  text,  the  Swami 
throughout  his  translation  has  sought  to 
eliminate  all  that  might  seem  obscure  and 
confusing  to  the  modern  mind.  While 
retaining  in  remarkable  measure  the  rhythm 
and  archaic  force  of  the  lines,  he  has  tried 
not  to  sacrifice  directness  and  simplicity  of 
style.  Where  he  has  been  obliged  to  use 
the  Sanskrit  term  for  lack  of  an  exact 
English  equivalent,  he  has  invariably  inter- 
preted it  by  a  familiar  English  word  in 
brackets;  and  everything  has  been  done  to 
remove  the  sense  of  strangeness  in  order  that 
the  Occidental  reader  may  not  feel  himself 
an  alien  in  the  new  regions  of  thought  opened 
to  him. 

Even  more  has  the  Swami  striven  to  keep 
the  letter  subordinate  to  the  spirit.  Any 
Scripture  is  only  secondarily  an  historical 
document.  To  treat  it  as  an  object  of  mere 
intellectual  curiosity  is  to  cheat  the  world 
of  its  deeper  message.  If  mankind  is  to 
derive  the  highest  benefit  from  a  study  of 
it,  its  appeal  must  be  primarily  to  the 
spiritual  consciousness;  and  one  of  the 
salient  merits  of  the  present  translation  lies 


Preface  9 

in  this,  that  the  translator  approaches  his 
task  not  only  with  the  grave  concern  of  the 
careful  scholar,  but  also  with  the  profound 
reverence  and  fervor  of  the  true  devotee. 

EDITOR 

BOSTON,  March,  1919 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

INTRODUCTION 13 

ISA-UPANISHAD 25 

KATHA-UPANISHAD 39 

KENA-UPANISHAD       95 

MUNDAKA-UPANISHAD  121 


INTRODUCTION 

JL  HE  Upanishads  represent  the  loftiest 
heights  of  ancient  Indo-Aryan  thought  and 
culture.  They  form  the  wisdom  portion 
or  Gndna-Kdnda  of  the  Vedas,  as  con- 
trasted with  the  Karma-Kdnda  or  sacri- 
ficial portion.  In  each  of  the  four  great 
Vedas  —  known  as  Rik,  Yajur,  Sama  and 
Atharva  —  there  is  a  large  portion  which 
deals  predominantly  with  rituals  and  cere- 
monials, and  which  has  for  its  aim  to  show 
man  how  by  the  path  of  right  action  he  may 
prepare  himself  for  higher  attainment.  Fol- 
lowing this  in  each  Veda  is  another  portion 
called  the  Upanishad,  which  deals  wholly 
with  the  essentials  of  philosophic  discrimi- 
nation and  ultimate  spiritual  vision.  For 
this  reason  the  Upanishads  are  known  as 
the  Veddnta,  that  is,  the  end  or  final  goal 
of  wisdom  (Veda,  wisdom;  anta,  end). 

The  name  Upanishad  has  been  variously 
interpreted.  Many  claim  that  it  is  a  com- 
pound Sanskrit  word  Upa-ni-shad,  signi- 


14  Introduction 


fying  "  sitting  at  the  feet  or  in  the  presence 
of  a  teacher";  while  according  to  other 
authorities  it  means  "to  shatter"  or  "to 
destroy"  the  fetters  of  ignorance.  What- 
ever may  have  been  the  technical  reason 
for  selecting  this  name,  it  was  chosen  un- 
doubtedly to  give  a  picture  of  aspiring 
seekers  "approaching"  some  wise  Seer  in 
the  seclusion  of  an  Himalayan  forest,  in 
order  to  learn  of  him  the  profoundest 
truths  regarding  the  cosmic  universe  and 
God.  Because  these  teachings  were  usually 
given  in  the  stillness  of  some  distant  retreat, 
where  the  noises  of  the  world  could  not 
disturb  the  tranquillity  of  the  contemplative 
life,  they  are  known  also  as  Aranyakas, 
Forest  Books.  Another  reason  for  this 
name  may  be  found  in  the  fact  that  they 
were  intended  especially  for  the  Vdna- 
prasthas  (those  who,  having  fulfilled  all 
their  duties  in  the  world,  had  retired  to  the 
forest  to  devote  themselves  to  spiritual 
study). 

The  form  which  the  teaching  naturally 
assumed  was  that  of  dialogue,  a  form  later 
adopted  by  Plato  and  other  Greek  philoso- 
phers. As  nothing  was  written  and  all 


Introduction  1 5 


instruction  was  transmitted  orally,  the 
Upanishads  are  called  Srutis,  "what  is 
heard."  The  term  was  also  used  in  the 
sense  of  revealed,  the  Upanishads  being 
regarded  as  direct  revelations  of  God; 
while  the  Smritis,  minor  Scriptures  "re- 
corded through  memory,"  were  traditional 
works  of  purely  human  origin.  It  is  a 
significant  fact  that  nowhere  in  the  Upan- 
ishads is  mention  made  of  any  author  or 
recorder. 

No  date  for  the  origin  of  the  Upanishads 
can  be  fixed,  because  the  written  text  does 
not  limit  their  antiquity.  The  word  Sruti 
makes  that  clear  to  us.  The  teaching 
probably  existed  ages  before  it  was  set 
down  in  any  written  form.  The  text  itself 
bears  evidence  of  this,  because  not  in- 
frequently in  a  dialogue  between  teacher 
and  disciple  the  teacher  quotes  from  earlier 
Scriptures  now  unknown  to  us.  As  Pro- 
fessor Max  Miiller  states  in  his  lectures  on 
the  Vedanta  Philosophy:  "One  feels  certain 
that  behind  all  these  lightning-flashes  of 
religious  and  philosophic  thought  there  is 
a  distant  past,  a  dark  background  of  which 
we  shall  never  know  the  beginning."  Some 


1 6  Introduction 


scholars  place  the  Vedic  period  as  far  back 
as  4000  or  5000  B.C.;  others  from  2000  to 
1400  B.C.  But  even  the  most  conservative 
admit  that  it  antedates,  by  several  cen- 
turies at  least,  the  Buddhistic  period  which 
begins  in  the  sixth  century  B.C. 

The  value  of  the  Upanishads,  however, 
does  not  rest  upon  their  antiquity,  but  upon 
the  vital  message  they  contain  for  all  times 
and  all  peoples.  There  is  nothing  pecu- 
liarly racial  or  local  in  them.  The  en- 
nobling lessons  of  these  Scriptures  are  as 
practical  for  the  modern  world  as  they 
were  for  the  Indo-Aryans  of  the  earliest 
Vedic  age.  Their  teachings  are  summed 
up  in  two  M aha-V dkyam  or  "great  say- 
ings":—  Tat  twam  asi  (That  thou  art) 
and  Aham  Brahmdsmi  (I  am  Brahman). 
This  oneness  of  Soul  and  God  lies  at  the 
very  root  of  all  Vedic  .thought,  and  it  is 
this  dominant  ideal  of  the  unity  of  all  life 
and  the  oneness  of  Truth  which  makes  the 
study  of  the  Upanishads  especially  bene- 
ficial at  the  present  moment. 

One  of  the  most  eminent  of  European 
Orientalists  writes:  "If  we  fix  our  attention 
upon  it  (this  fundamental  dogma  of  the 


Introduction  1 7 


Vedanta  system)  in  its  philosophical  sim- 
plicity as  the  identity  of  God  and  the  Soul, 
the  Brahman  and  the  Atman,  it  will  be 
found  to  possess  a  significance  reaching 
far  beyond  the  Upanishads,  their  time  and 
country;  nay,  we  claim  for  it  an  inestimable 
value  for  the  whole  race  of  mankind.  .  .  . 
Whatever  new  and  unwonted  paths  the 
philosophy  of  the  future  may  strike  out, 
this  principle  will  remain  permanently  un- 
shaken and  from  it  no  deviation  can  pos- 
sibly take  place.  If  ever  a  general  solution 
is  reached  of  the  great  riddle  .  .  .  the  key 
can  only  be  found  where  alone  the  secret 
of  nature  lies  open  to  us  from  within,  that 
is  to  say,  in  our  innermost  self.  It  was 
here  that  for  the  first  time  the  original 
thinkers  of  the  Upanishads,  to  their  im- 
mortal honor,  found  it.  .  .  ." 

The  first  introduction  of  the  Upanishads 
to  the  Western  world  was  through  a  trans- 
lation into  Persian  made  in  the  .seventeenth 
century.  More  than  a  century  later  the  dis- 
tinguished French  scholar,  Anquetil  Du- 
perron,  brought  a  copy  of  the  manuscript 
from  Persia  to  France  and  translated  it  into 
French  and  Latin,  publishing  only  the 


1 8  Introduction 


Latin  text.     Despite  the  distortions  which 
must     have     resulted     from     transmission 
through   two   alien   languages,    the   light  of 
the  thought  still  shone  with  such  brightness 
that  it  drew  from  Schopenhauer  the  fervent 
words:    "How  entirely  does  the  Oupnekhat 
(Upanishad)    breathe    throughout    the   holy 
spirit    of    the    Vedas!    How    is    every    one, 
who   by   a   diligent    study    of    its    Persian 
Latin   has    become    familiar    with    that    in- 
comparable   book,   stirred    by    that    spirit 
to  the  very  depth  of  his  Soul!    From  every 
sentence  deep,  original  and  sublime  thoughts 
arise,  and  the  whole  is  pervaded  by  a  high 
and    holy    and    earnest    spirit."     Again    he 
says:   "The  access  to  (the  Vedas)  by  means 
of  the  Upanishads  is  in  my  eyes  the  greatest 
privilege    which    this    still    young    century 
(1818)  may  claim   before  all  previous  cen- 
turies."   This    testimony   is    borne   out   by 
the  thoughtful  American  scholar,  Thoreau, 
who    writes:      "What    extracts    from    the 
Vedas  I  have  read  fall  on  me  like  the  light 
of    a    higher    and    purer    luminary    which 
describes  a  loftier  course   through  a  purer 
stratum  —  free    from    particulars,    simple, 
universal." 


Introduction  19 


The  first  English  translation  was  made  by 
a  learned  Hindu,  Raja  Ram  Mohun  Roy 
(1775-1833).  Since  that  time  there  have 
been  various  European  translations  — 
French,  German,  Italian  and  English.  But 
.a  mere  translation,  however  accurate  and 
sympathetic,  is  not  sufficient  to  make  the 
Upanishads  accessible  to  the  Occidental 
mind.  Professor  Max  Miiller  after  a  life- 
time of  arduous  labor  in  this  field  frankly 
confesses:  "Modern  words  are  round,  an- 
cient words  are  square,  and  we  may  as 
well  hope  to  solve  the  quadrature  of  the 
circle,  as  to  express  adequately  the  ancient 
thought  of  the  Vedas  in  modern  English." 

Without  a  commentary  it  is  practically 
impossible  to  understand  either  the  spirit 
or  the  meaning  of  the  Upanishads.  They 
were  never  designed  as  popular  Scriptures. 
They  grew  up  essentially  as  text  books  of 
God-knowledge  and  Self-knowledge,  and 
like  all  text  books  they  need  interpretation. 
Being  transmitted  orally  from  teacher  to 
disciple,  the  style  was  necessarily  extremely 
condensed  and  in  the  form  of  aphorisms. 
The  language  also  was  often  metaphorical 
and  obscure.  Yet  if  one  has  the  perse- 


2O  Introduction 


verance  to  penetrate  beneath  these  mere 
surface  difficulties,  one  is  repaid  a  hundred- 
fold; for  these  ancient  Sacred  Books  contain 
the  most  precious  gems  of  spiritual  thought. 
Every  Upanishad  begins  with  a  Peace 
Chant  (Shanti-patha]  to  create  the  proper 
atmosphere  of  purity  and  serenity.  To 
study  about  God  the  whole  nature  must 
be  prepared,  so  unitedly  and  with  loving 
hearts  teacher  and  disciples  prayed  to  the 
Supreme  Being  for  His  grace  and  protec- 
tion. It  is  not  possible  to  comprehend  the 
subtle  problems  of  life  unless  the  thought 
is  tranquil  and  the  energy  concentrated. 
Until  our  mind  is  withdrawn  from  the 
varied  distractions  and  agitations  of  worldly 
affairs,  we  cannot  enter  into  the  spirit  of 
higher  religious  study.  No  study  is  of 
avail  so  long  as  our  inner  being  is  not  at- 
tuned. We  must  hold  a  peaceful  attitude 
towards  all  living  things;  and  if  it  is  lacking, 
we  must  strive  fervently  to  cultivate  it 
through  suggestion  by  chanting  or  repeating 
some  holy  text.  The  same  lesson  is  taught 
by  Jesus  the  Christ  when  He  says:  "If 
thou  bring  thy  gift  to  the  altar  and  there 
rememberest  that  thy  brother  hath  aught 


Introduction  2 1 


against  thee;  leave  there  thy  gift  before 
the  altar  and  go  thy  way;  first  be  recon- 
ciled to  thy  brother,  and  then  come  and 
offer  thy  gift." 

Bearing  this  lofty  ideal  of  peace  in  our 
minds,  let  us  try  to  make  our  hearts  free 
from  prejudice,  doubt  and  intolerance,  so 
that  from  these  sacred  writings  we  may 
draw  in  abundance  inspiration,  love  and 
wisdom. 

PARAMANANDA 


ISA-UPANISHAD 


This  Upanishad  derives  its  title  from  the  opening  words, 
Isa-vasya,  "God-covered."  The  use  of  Isa  (Lord)  —  a 
more  personal  name  of  the  Supreme  Being  than  Brahman, 
Atman  or  Self,  the  names  usually  found  in  the  Upanishads 
— constitutes  one  of  Us  peculiarities.  It  forms  the  clos- 
ing chapter  of  the  Yajur-Veda,  known  as  Shukla  (White). 

Oneness  of  the  Soul  and  God,  and  the  value  of  both  faith 
and  works  as  means  of  ultimate  attainment  are  the  leading 
themes  of  this  Upanishad.  The  general  teaching  of  the 
Upanishads  is  that  works  alone,  even  the  highest,  can  bring 
only  temporary  happiness  and  must  inevitably  bind  a  man, 
unless  through  them  he  gains  knowledge  of  his  real  Self. 
To  help  him  acquire  this  knowledge  is  the  aim  of  this  and 
all  Upanishads. 


ISA-UPANISHAD 

PEACE  CHANT 

OM!  That  (the  Invisible- Absolute)  is 
whole;  whole  is  this  (the  visible  phenom- 
enal); from  the  Invisible  Whole  comes  forth 
the  visible  whole.  Though  the  visible  whole 
has  come  out  from  that  Invisible  Whole,  yet 
the  Whole  remains  unaltered. 

OM!  PEACE!  PEACE!  PEACE! 

'TpHE  indefinite  term  "That"  is  used  in  the  Upanishads 
to  designate  the  Invisible- Absolute,  because  no  word 
or  name  can  fully  define  It.  A  finite  object,  like  a  table 
or  a  tree,  can  be  defined;  but  God,  who  is  infinite  and  un- 
bounded, cannot  be  expressed  by  finite  language.  There- 
fore the  Rishis  or  Divine  Seers,  desirous  not  to  limit  the 
Unlimited,  chose  the  indefinite  term  "  That "  to  designate 
the  Absolute. 

In  the  light  of  true  wisdom  the  phenomenal  and  the 
Absolute  are  inseparable.  All  existence  is  in  the  Absolute; 
and  whatever  exists,  must  exist  in  It;  hence  all  manifesta- 
tion is  merely  a  modification  of  the  One  Supreme  Whole, 
and  neither  increases  nor  diminishes  It.  The  Whole  there- 
fore remains  unaltered. 


26  The  Upanisbads 


ALL  this,  whatsoever   exists   in    the  uni- 
verse, should  be  covered  by  the  Lord. 
Having    renounced    (the    unreal),   enjoy  (the 
Real) .     Do  not  covet  the  wealth  of  any  man. 

TXT'E  cover  all  things  with  the  Lord  by  perceiving  the 
Divine  Presence  everywhere.  When  the  conscious- 
ness is  firmly  fixed  in  God,  the  conception  of  diversity 
naturally  drops  away;  because  the  One  Cosmic  Existence 
shines  through  all  things.  As  we  gain  the  light  of  wis- 
dom, we  cease  to  cling  to  the  unrealities  of  this  world, 
and  we  find  all  our  joy  in  the  realm  of  Reality. 

The  word  "enjoy"  is  also  interpreted  by  the  great 
commentator  Sankaracharya  as  "  protect,"  because  knowl- 
edge of  our  true  Self  is  the  greatest  protector  and  sus- 
tainer.  If  we  do  not  have  this  knowledge,  we  cannot  be 
happy;  because  nothing  on  this  external  plane  of  phenom- 
ena is  permanent  or  dependable.  He  who  is  rich  in  the 
knowledge  of  the  Self  does  not  covet  external  power  or 
possession. 

II 

IF  one  should  desire  to  live  in  this  world 
a  hundred  years,  one  should  live  perform- 
ing Karma  (righteous  deeds).  Thus  thou 
mayest  live;  there  is  no  other  way.  By  doing 
this,  Karma  (the  fruits  of  thy  actions)  will 
not  defile  thee. 


Isa-Upanishad  27 

TF  a  man  still  clings  to  long  life  and  earthly  possessions, 
and  is  therefore  unable  to  follow  the  path  of  Self- 
knowledge  (Gndna-Nishta)  as  prescribed  in  the  first 
Mantram  (text),  then  he  may  follow  the  path  of  right 
action  (Karma-Nishld).  Karma  here  means  actions  per- 
formed without  selfish  motive,  for  the  sake  of  the  Lord 
alone.  When  a  man  performs  actions  clinging  blindly  to 
his  lower  desires,  then  his  actions  bind  him  to  the  plane  of 
ignorance  or  the  plane  of  birth  and  death;  but  when  the 
same  actions  are  performed  with  surrender  to  God,  they 
purify  and  liberate  him. 


Ill 

AFTER  leaving  their  bodies,  they  who 
have  killed  the  Self  go  to  the  worlds  of 
the  Asuras,  covered  with  blinding  ignorance. 

npHE  idea  of  rising  to  bright  regions  as  a  reward  for 
well-doers,  and  of  falling  into  realms  of  darkness  as  a 
punishment  for  evil-doers  is  common  to  all  great  religions. 
But  Vedanta  claims  that  this  condition  of  heaven  and  hell 
is  only  temporary;  because  our  actions,  being  finite,  can 
produce  only  a  finite  result. 

What  does  it  mean  "to  kill  the  Self?"  How  can  the 
immortal  Soul  ever  be  destroyed?  It  cannot  be  destroyed, 
it  can  only  be  obscured.  Those  who  hold  themselves 
under  the  sway  of  ignorance,  who  serve  the  flesh  and 
neglect  the  A  tman  or  the  real  Self,  are  not  able  to  perceive 
the  effulgent  and  indestructible  nature  of  their  Soul;  hence 
they  fall  into  the  realm  where  the  Soul  light  does  not 
shine.  Here  the  Upanishad  shows  that  the  only  hell  is 
absence  of  knowledge.  As  long  as  man  is  overpowered 


28  The   Upanishads 

by  the  darkness  of  ignorance,  he  is  the  slave  of  Nature  and 
must  accept  whatever  comes  as  the  fruit  of  his  thoughts 
and  deeds.  When  he  strays  into  the  path  of  unreality, 
the  Sages  declare  that  he  destroys  himself;  because  he 
who  clings  to  the  perishable  body  and  regards  it  as  his  true 
Self  must  experience  death  many  times. 


T 


IV 

VHAT  One,  though  motionless,  is  swifter 
than  the  mind.  The  senses  can  never 
overtake  It,  for  It  ever  goes  before.  Though 
immovable,  It  travels  faster  than  those  who 
run.  By  It  the  all-pervading  air  sustains  all 
living  beings. 

'T"VHIS  verse  explains  the  character  of  the  Atman  or  Self. 
A  finite  object  can  be  taken  from  one  place  and  put 
in  another,  but  it  can  only  occupy  one  space  at  a  time. 
The  Atman,  however,  is  present  everywhere;  hence, 
though  one  may  run  with  the  greatest  swiftness  to  over- 
take It,  already  It  is  there  before  him. 

Even  the  all-pervading  air  must  be  supported  by  this 
Self,  since  It  is  infinite;  and  as  nothing  can  live  without 
breathing  air,  all  living  things  must  draw  their  life  from 
the  Cosmic  Self. 

V 

IT  moves  and  It  moves  not.     It  is  far  and 
also  It  is  near.     It  is  within  and  also  It 
is  without  all  this. 


Isa-Upanishad  29 


TT  is  near  to  those  who  have  the  power  to  understand  It, 
for  It  dwells  in  the  heart  of  every  one;  but  It  seems 
far  to  those  whose  mind  is  covered  by  the  clouds  of  sensual- 
ity and  self-delusion.  It  is  within,  because  It  is  the  inner- 
most Soul  of  all  creatures;  and  It  is  without  as  the  essence 
of  the  whole  external  universe,  infilling  it  like  the  all- 
pervading  ether. 

VI 

HE  who  sees  all  beings  in  the  Self  and  the 
Self  in  all  beings,  he  never  turns  away 
from  It  (the  Self). 

VII 

HE  who  perceives  all  beings  as  the  Self, 
for  him  how  can  there  be  delusion  or 
grief,    when   he   sees    this   oneness    (every- 
where) ? 

1LJE  who  perceives  the  Self  everywhere  never  shrinks 
from  anything,  because  through  his  higher  conscious- 
ness he  feels  united  with  all  life.  When  a  man  sees  God 
in  all  beings  and  all  beings  in  God,  and  also  God  dwelling 
in  his  own  Soul,  how  can  he  hate  any  living  thing?  Grief 
and  delusion  rest  upon  a  belief  in  diversity,  which  leads  to 
competition  and  all  forms  of  selfishness.  With  the  realiza- 
tion of  oneness,  the  sense  of  diversity  vanishes  and  the 
cause  of  misery  is  removed. 


30  The  Upanishads 

VIII 

HE  (the  Self)  is  all-encircling,  resplendent, 
bodiless,  spotless,  without  sinews,  pure* 
untouched    by    sin,    all-seeing,    all-knowing, 
transcendent,  self-existent;   He  has  disposed 
all  things  duly  for  eternal  years. 

n^HIS  text  defines  the  real  nature  of  the  Self.     When 
our  mind  is  cleansed  from  the  dross  of  matter,  then 
alone  can  we  behold  the  vast,  radiant,  subtle,  ever-pure 
and  spotless  Self,  the  true  basis  of  our  existence. 

IX 

THEY  enter  into  blind    darkness   who 
worship  Avidya  (ignorance  and  delu- 
sion) ;  they  fall,  as  it  were,  into  greater  dark- 
ness who  worship  Vidya  (knowledge). 

X 

BY  Vidya  one  end  is  attained;  by  Avidya, 
another.     Thus   we   have   heard   from 
the  wise  men  who  taught  this. 

XI 

HE  who  knows  at  the  same  time  both 
Vidya  and  Avidya,  crosses  over  death 
by  Avidya  and  attains  immortality  through 
Vidya. 


Isa-  Upanishad  3 1 

'  I  ''HOSE  who  follow  or  "worship"  the  path  of  selfishness 
and  pleasure  (Avidyd),  without  knowing  anything 
higher,  necessarily  fall  into  darkness;  but  those  who 
worship  or  cherish  Vidyd  (knowledge)  for  mere  intellectual 
pride  and  satisfaction,  fall  into  greater  darkness,  because 
the  opportunity  which  they  misuse  is  greater. 

In  the  subsequent  verses  Vidyd  and  Avidyd  are  used  in 
something  the  same  sense  as  "faith"  and  "works"  in  the 
Christian  Bible;  neither  alone  can  lead  to  the  ultimate 
goal,  but  when  taken  together  they  carry  one  to  the  Highest. 
Work  done  with  unselfish  motive  purifies  the  mind  and 
enables  man  to  perceive  his  undying  nature.  From  this 
he  gains  inevitably  a  knowledge  of  God,  because  the  Soul 
and  God  are  one  and  inseparable;  and  when  he  knows 
himself  to  be  one  with  the  Supreme  and  Indestructible 
Whole,  he  realizes  his  immortality. 


XII 

THEY  fall  into  blind  darkness  who  wor- 
ship the  Unmanifested  and  they  fall 
into    greater    darkness    who    worship    the 
manifested. 

XIII 

BY  the  worship  of  the  Unmanifested  one 
end  is  attained;   by  the  worship  of  the 
manifested,  another.     Thus  we  have  heard 
from  the  wise  men  who  taught  us  this. 


32  The  Upanishads 

XIV 

HE  who  knows  at  the  same  time  both  the 
Unmanifested  (the  cause  of  manifesta- 
tion) and  the  destructible  or  manifested,  he 
crosses  over  death  through  knowledge  of  the 
destructible  and  attains  immortality  through 
knowledge  of  the  First  Cause  (Unmani- 
fested). 


IS  particular  Upanishad  deals  chiefly  with  the 
Invisible  Cause  and  the  visible  manifestation;  and 
the  whole  trend  of  its  teaching  is  to  show  that  they  are 
one  and  the  same,  one  being  the  outcome  of  the  other; 
hence  no  perfect  knowledge  is  possible  without  simultane- 
ous comprehension  of  both.  The  wise  men  declare  that  he 
who  worships  in  a  one-sided  way,  whether  the  visible 
or  the  invisible,  does  not  reach  the  highest  goal.  Only 
he  who  has  a  co-ordinated  understanding  of  both  the 
visible  and  the  invisible,  of  matter  and  spirit,  of  activity 
and  that  which  is  behind  activity,  conquers  Nature  and 
thus  overcomes  death.  By  work,  by  making  the  mind 
steady  and  by  following  the  prescribed  rules  given  in  the 
Scriptures,  a  man  gains  wisdom.  By  the  light  of  that 
wisdom  he  is  able  to  perceive  the  Invisible  Cause  in  all 
visible  forms.  Therefore  the  wise  man  sees  Him  in  every 
manifested  form.  They  who  have  a  true  conception  of 
God  are  never  separated  from  Him.  They  exist  in  Him 
and  He  in  them. 


Isa-  Upanishad  33 


XV 

face  of  Truth  is  hidden  by  a  golden 
I  disk.  O  Pushan  (Effulgent  Being)! 
Uncover  (Thy  face)  that  I,  the  worshipper 
of  Truth,  may  behold  Thee. 

XVI 

O  PUSHAN!  O  Sun,  sole  traveller  of 
the  heavens,  controller  of  all,  son  of 
Prajapati,  withdraw  Thy  rays  and  gather  up 
Thy  burning  effulgence.  Now  through  Thy 
Grace  I  behold  Thy  blessed  and  glorious  form. 
The  Purusha  (Effulgent  Being)  who  dwells 
within  Thee,  I  am  He. 

"LJERE  the  sun,  who  is  the  giver  of  all  light,  is  used  as 
the  symbol  of  the  Infinite,  giver  of  all  wisdom.  The 
seeker  after  Truth  prays  to  the  Effulgent  One  to  control 
His  dazzling  rays,  that  his  eyes,  no  longer  blinded  by  them, 
may  behold  the  Truth.  Having  perceived  It,  he  proclaims : 
"Now  I  see  that  that  Effulgent  Being  and  I  are  one  and 
the  same,  and  my  delusion  is  destroyed."  By  the  light  of 
Truth  he  is  able  to  discriminate  between  the  real  and  the 
unreal,  and  the  knowledge  thus  gained  convinces  him  that 
he  is  one  with  the  Supreme;  that  there  is  no  difference 
between  himself  and  the  Supreme  Truth;  or  as  Christ  said, 
"I  and  my  Father  are  one." 


34  The   Upatiishads 

XVII 

MAY    my    life-breath    go    to    the    all- 
pervading  and  immortal  Prdna,  and 
let    this    body    be    burned    to    ashes.     Om! 
O  mind,  remember  thy  deeds!     O  mind,  re- 
member, remember  thy  deeds!     Remember! 

CEEK  not  fleeting  results  as  the  reward  of  thy  actions, 
O  mind!  Strive  only  for  the  Imperishable.  This 
Manlram  or  text  is  often  chanted  at  the  hour  of  death  to 
remind  one  of  the  perishable  nature  of  the  body  and  the 
eternal  nature  of  the  Soul.  When  the  clear  vision  of  the 
distinction  between  the  mortal  body  and  the  immortal 
Soul  dawns  in  the  heart,  then  all  craving  for  physical 
pleasure  or  material  possession  drops  away;  and  one  can 
say,  let  the  body  be  burned  to  ashes  that  the  Soul  may 
attain  its  freedom;  for  death  is  nothing  more  than  the 
casting-off  of  a  worn-out  garment. 

XVIII 

OAGNI  (Bright  Being)!  Lead  us  to 
blessedness  by  the  good  path.  O  Lord ! 
Thou  knowest  all  our  deeds,  remove  all  evil 
and  delusion  from  us.  To  Thee  we  offer  our 
prostrations  and  supplications  again  and 
again. 

Here  ends  this  Upanishad 


Isa-  Upanishad  3  5 


'TpHIS  Upanishad  is  called  Isa-Vasya-Upanishad,  that 
which  gives  Brahma-Vidyd  or  knowledge  of  the  All- 
pervading  Deity.  The  dominant  thought  running  through 
it  is  that  we  cannot  enjoy  life  or  realize  true  happiness 
unless  we  consciously  "cover"  all  with  the  Omnipresent 
Lord.  If  we  are  not  fully  conscious  of  that  which  sustains 
our  life,  how  can  we  live  wisely  and  perform  our  duties? 
Whatever  we  see,  movable  or  immovable,  good  or  bad,  it  is 
all  "That."  We  must  not  divide  our  conception  of  the 
universe;  for  in  dividing  it,  we  have  only  fragmentary 
knowledge  and  we  thus  limit  ourselves. 

He  who  sees  all  beings  in  his  Self  and  his  Self  in  all 
beings,  he  never  suffers;  because  when  he  sees  all  creatures 
within  his  true  Self,  then  jealousy,  grief  and  hatred  van- 
ish. He  alone  can  love.  That  All-pervading  One  is  self- 
effulgent,  birthless,  deathless,  pure,  untainted  by  sin  and 
sorrow.  Knowing  this,  he  becomes  free  from  the  bondage 
of  matter  and  transcends  death.  Transcending  death 
means  realizing  the  difference  between  body  and  Soul  and 
identifying  oneself  with  the  Soul.  When  we  actually 
behold  the  undecaying  Soul  within  us  and  realize  our  true 
nature,  we  no  longer  identify  ourself  with  the  body  which 
dies  and  we  do  not  die  with  the  body. 

Self-knowledge  has  always  been  the  theme  of  the  Sages; 
and  the  Upanishads  deal  especially  with  the  knowledge  of 
the  Self  and  also  with  the  knowledge  of  God,  because  there 
is  no  difference  between  the  Self  and  God.  They  are  one 
and  the  same.  That  which  comes  out  of  the  Infinite  Whole 
must  also  be  infinite;  hence  the  Self  is  infinite.  That  is 


36  The  Upanishads 

the  ocean,  we  are  the  drops.  So  long  as  the  drop  remains 
separate  from  the  ocean,  it  is  small  and  weak;  but  when  it 
is  one  with  the  ocean,  then  it  has  all  the  strength  of  the 
ocean.  Similarly,  so  long  as  man  believes  himself  to  be 
separate  from  the  Whole,  he  is  helpless;  but  when  he 
identifies  himself  with  It,  then  he  transcends  all  weakness 
and  partakes  of  Its  omnipotent  qualities. 


KATHA-UPANISHAD 


The  Katha-U  panishad  is  probably  the  most  widely 
known  of  all  the  Upanishads.  It  was  early  translated  into 
Persian  and  through  this  rendering  first  made  its  way  into 
Europe.  Later  Rdjd  Ram  Mohun  Roy  brought  out  an 
English  version.  It  has  since  appeared  in  various  lan- 
guages; and  English,  German  and  French  writers  are  all 
agreed  in  pronouncing  it  one  of  the  most  perfect  expressions 
of  the  religion  and  philosophy  of  the  Vedas.  Sir  Ed-win 
Arnold  popularized  it  by  his  metrical  rendering  under  the 
name  of  "  The  Secret  of  Death,"  and  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson 
gives  its  story  in  brief  at  the  close  of  his  essay  on  "Immor- 
tality." 

There  is  no  consensus  of  opinion  regarding  the  place  of 
this  Upanishad  in  Vedic  literature.  Some  authorities 
declare  it  to  belong  to  the  Yajur-Veda,  others  to  the  Sama- 
Veda,  while  a  large  number  put  it  down  as  a  part  of  the 
Atharva-Veda.  The  story  is  first  suggested  in  the  Rig- 
Veda;  it  is  told  more  definitely  in  the  Yajur-Veda;  and  in 
the  Katha-U  panishad  it  appears  fully  elaborated  and  inter- 
woven with  the  loftiest  Vedic  teaching.  There  is,  nothing, 
however,  to  indicate  the  special  place  of  this  final  version, 
nor  has  any  meaning  been  found  for  the  name  Katha. 

The  text  presents  a  dialogue  between  an  aspiring  disciple, 
Nachiketas,  and  the  Ruler  of  Death  regarding  the  great 
Hereafter. 


KATHA-UPANISHAD 

PEACE   CHANT 

MAY  He  (the  Supreme  Being)  protect  us 
both,  teacher  and  taught.     May  He 
be    pleased    with    us.      May    we    acquire 
strength.     May  our  study  bring  us  illumina- 
tion.    May  there  be  no  enmity  among  us. 
OM!    PEACE!     PEACE!    PEACE! 

Part  JFit0t 

i 

VAjASRAVA,  being  desirous  of  heavenly 
rewards    (at    the    Viswajit    sacrifice), 
made  a  gift  of  all  that  he  possessed.     He  had 
a  son  by  the  name  of  Nachiketas. 

II 

WHEN    the    offerings    were    being  dis- 
tributed,   faith    (Shraddha)    entered 
(the  heart  of) Nachiketas,  who,  though  young, 
yet  reflected: 


4O  The  Upanishads 


III 

THESE  cows  have  drunk  water,  eaten 
grass  and  given  milk  for  the  last  time, 
and  their  senses  have  lost  all  vigor.     He  who 
gives    these    undoubtedly    goes    to    joyless 
realms. 

TN  India 'the  idea  of  sacrifice  has  always  been  to  give 
freely  for  the  joy  of  giving,  without  asking  anything 
in  return;  and  the  whole  purpose  and  merit  of  the  sacrifice 
is  lost,  if  the  giver  entertains  the  least  thought  of  name, 
fame  or  individual  benefit.  The  special  Viswajit  sacrifice 
which  Vajasrava  was  making  required  of  him  to  give 
away  all  that  he  possessed.  When,  however,  the  gifts  were 
brought  forward  to  be  offered,  his  son  Nachiketas,  although 
probably  a  lad  about  twelve  years  of  age,  observed  how 
worthless  were  the  animals  which  his  father  was  offering. 
His  heart  at  once  became  filled  with  Shraddhd.  There  is 
no  one  English  word  which  can  convey  the  meaning  of  this 
Sanskrit  term.  It  is  more  than  mere  faith.  It  also 
implies  self-reliance,  an  independent  sense  of  right  and 
wrong,  and  the  courage  of  one's  own  conviction.  As  a  boy 
of  tender  age,  Nachiketas  had  no  right  to  question  his 
father's  action:  yet,  impelled  by  the  sudden  awakening  of 
his  higher  nature,  he  could  not  but  reflect:  "By  merely 
giving  these  useless  cows,  my  father  cannot  gain  any  merit. 
If  he  has  vowed  to  give  all  his  possessions,  then  he  must  also 
give  me.  Otherwise  his  sacrifice  will  not  be  complete  and 
fruitful."  Therefore,  anxious  for  his  father's  welfare,  he 
approached  him  gently  and  reverently. 


Katha-U  panishad  41 

IV 

HE  said  to  his  father:    Dear  father,  to 
whom  wilt  thou  give  me?     He  said  it 
a  second  time,  then  a  third  time.     The  father 
replied:   I  shall  give  thee  unto  Death. 


,  being  a  dutiful  son  and  eager  to  atone 
for  his  father's  inadequate  sacrifice,  tried  to  remind 
him  thus  indirectly  that  he  had  not  fulfilled  his  promise  to 
give  away  all  his  possessions,  since  he  had  not  yet  offered 
his  own  son,  who  would  be  a  worthier  gift  than  useless 
cattle.  His  father,  conscious  that  he  was  not  making  a 
true  sacrifice,  tried  to  ignore  the  boy's  questions;  but 
irritated  by  his  persistence,  he  at  last  impatiently  made 
answer:  "I  give  thee  to  Yama,  the  Lord  of  Death."  The 
fact  that  anger  could  so  quickly  rise  in  his  heart  proved 
that  he  had  not  the  proper  attitude  of  a  sacrificer,  who 
must  always  be  tranquil,  uplifted  and  free  from  egoism. 

V 

I^TACHIKETAS  thought:  Among  many 
-L^l  (of  my  father's  pupils)  I  stand  first; 
among  many  (others)  I  stand  in  the  middle 
(but  never  last).  What  will  be  accomplished 
for  my  father  by  my  going  this  day  to  Yama? 

TT  was  not  conceit  which  led  Nachiketas  to  consider  his 
own  standing  and  importance.  He  was  weighing  his 
value  as  a  son  and  pupil  in  order  to  be  able  to  judge  whether 
or  not  he  had  merit  enough  to  prove  a  worthy  gift.  Al- 
though he  realized  that  his  father's  harsh  reply  was  only 


42  The  Upanishads 

the  expression  of  a  momentary  outburst  of  anger;  yet  he 
believed  that  greater  harm  might  befall  his  father,  if  his 
word  was  not  kept.  Therefore  he  sought  to  strengthen 
his  father's  resolution  by  reminding  him  of  the  transitory 
condition  of  life.  He  said: 

VI 

LOOK  back  to  those  who  lived  before  and 
look    to    those    who    live    now.     Like 
grain  the  mortal  decays  and  like  grain  again 
springs  up  (is  reborn) . 

A  LL  things  perish,  Truth  alone  remains.  Why  then 
fear  to  sacrifice  me  also?  Thus  Nachiketas  con- 
vinced his  father  that  he  should  remain  true  to  his  word 
and  send  him  to  Yama,  the  Ruler  of  Death.  Then  Nachi- 
ketas went  to  the  abode  of  Death,  but  Yama  was  absent 
and  the  boy  waited  without  food  or  drink  for  three  days. 
On  Yama's  return  one  of  his  household  said  to  him: 

VII 

LIKE  fire  a  Brdhmana  guest  enters  into 
houses.     That  fire  is  quenched  by  an 
offering.     (Therefore)  O  Vaivaswata,  bring 
water. 

VIII 

THE    foolish    man    in    whose    house    a 
Brdhmana  guest  remains  without  food, 
all  his  hopes  and  expectations,  all  the  merit 


Katha-V panishad  43 

gained  by  his  association  with  the  holy,  by  his 
good  words  and  deeds,  all  his  sons  and  cattle, 
are  destroyed. 

A  CCORDING  to  the  ancient  Vedic  ideal  a  guest  is  the 
representative  of  God  and  should  be  received  with 
due  reverence  and  honor.  Especially  is  this  the  case  with 
a  Brdhmana  or  a  Sannyasin  whose  life  is  wholly  consecrated 
to  God.  Any  one  who  fails  to  give  proper  care  to  a  holy 
guest  brings  misfortune  on  himself  and  his  household. 
When  Yama  returned,  therefore,  one  of  the  members  of 
his  household  anxiously  informed  him  of  Nachiketas' 
presence  and  begged  him  to  bring  water  to  wash  his  feet, 
this  being  always  the  first  service  to  an  arriving  guest. 

IX 

YAMA    said:     O  Brahmana!      Revered 
guest!      My  salutations  to  thee.      As 
thou  hast  remained  three  nights  in  my  house 
without  food,  therefore  choose  three  boons, 
O  Brahmana. 

X 

NACHIKETAS  said:  May  Gautama,  my 
father,  be  free  from  anxious  thought 
(about  me).  May  he  lose  all  anger  (towards 
me)  and  be  pacified  in  heart.  May  he  know 
and  welcome  me  when  I  am  sent  back  by 
thee.  This,  O  Death,  is  the  first  of  the  three 
boons  I  choose. 


44  The  Upanishads 


XI 

YAMA  replied:  Through  my  will  Aud- 
dalaki  Aruni  (thy  father)  will  know 
thee,  and  be  again  towards  thee  as  before. 
He  will  sleep  in  peace  at  night.  He  will  be 
free  from  wrath  when  he  sees  thee  released 
from  the  mouth  of  death. 

XII 

lyTACHIKETAS  said:  In  the  realm  of 
-i-^l  heaven  there  is  no  fear,  thou  (Death) 
art  not  there;  nor  is  there  fear  of  old  age. 
Having  crossed  beyond  both  hunger  and 
thirst  and  being  above  grief,  (they)  rejoice 
in  heaven. 

XIII 

THOU  knowest,  O  Death,  the  fire- 
sacrifice  that  leads  to  heaven.  Tell 
this  to  me,  who  am  full  of  Shraddhd  (faith 
and  yearning).  They  who  live  in  the  realm 
of  heaven  enjoy  freedom  from  death.  This 
I  beg  as  my  second  boon. 


Katha-U  panishad  45 

XIV 

YAMA  replied:  I  know  well  that  fire 
which  leads  to  the  realm  of  heaven.  I 
shall  tell  it  to  thee.  Listen  to  me.  Know, 
O  Nachiketas,  that  this  is  the  means  of  at- 
taining endless  worlds  and  their  support.  It 
is  hidden  in  the  heart  of  all  beings. 

XV 

YAMA  then  told  him  that  fire-sacrifice, 
the  beginning  of  all  the  worlds;  what 
bricks,  how  many  and  how  laid  for  the  altar. 
Nachiketas  repeated  all  as  it  was  told  to  him. 
Then  Death,  being  pleased  with  him,  again 
said: 

XVI 

THE    great-souled    Yama,    being    well 
pleased,  said  to  him  (Nachiketas):    I 
give    thee    now    another    boon.     This    fire 
(sacrifice)  shall  be  named  after  thee.     Take 
also  this  garland  of  many  colors. 

XVII 

HE  who  performs   this   Nachiketa  fire- 
sacrifice    three    times,    being    united 
with  the  three  (mother,  father  and  teacher), 


46  The  Upanishads 

and  who  fulfills  the  three-fold  duty  (study  of 
the  Vedas,  sacrifice  and  alms-giving)  crosses 
over  birth  and  death.  Knowing  this  wor- 
shipful shining  fire,  born  of  Brahman,  and 
realizing  Him,  he  attains  eternal  peace. 

XVIII 

HE  who  knows  the  three-fold  Nachiketa 
fire  and  performs  the  Nachiketa  fire- 
sacrifice  with  three-fold  knowledge,  having 
cast  off  the  fetters  of  death  and  being  beyond 
grief,  he  rejoices  in  the  realm  of  heaven. 

XIX 

ONACHIKETAS,  this  is  thy  fire  that 
leads    to    heaven,    which    thou    hast 
chosen   as   thy   second   boon.     People    will 
call  this  fire  after  thy  name.     Ask  the  third 
boon,  Nachiketas. 

IT^IRE  is  regarded  as  "the  foundation  of  all  the  worlds," 
because  it  is  the  revealer  of  creation.  If  there  were 
no  fire  or  light,  no  manifested  form  would  be  visible.  We 
read  in  the  Semitic  Scriptures,  "  In  the  beginning  the  Lord 
said,  'Let  there  be  light.'"  Therefore,  that  which  stands 
in  the  external  universe  as  one  of  the  purest  symbols  of  the 
Divine,  also  dwells  in  subtle  form  in  the  heart  of  every 


Katha-U  panishad  47 

living  being  as  the  vital  energy,  the  life-force  or  cause  of 
existence. 

Yama  now  tells  Nachiketas  how,  by  performing  sacri- 
fice with  the  three-fold  knowledge,  he  may  transcend  grief 
and  death  and  reach  heaven.  The  three-fold  knowledge 
referred  to  is  regarding  the  preparation  of  the  altar  and 
fire.  Nachiketas  being  eager  to  learn,  listened  with  whole- 
hearted attention  and  was  able  to  repeat  all  that  was  told 
him.  This  so  pleased  Yama  that  he  granted  him  the  extra 
boon  of  naming  the  fire-sacrifice  after  him  and  gave  him  a 
garland  set  with  precious  stones. 

Verses  XVI-XVIII  are  regarded  by  many  as  an  inter- 
polation, which  would  account  for  certain  obscurities  and 
repetitions  in  them. 

XX 

XTACHIKETAS  said:  There  is  this  doubt 
-L  ll  regarding  what  becomes  of  a  man  after 
death.  Some  say  he  exists,  others  that  he 
does  not  exist.  This  knowledge  I  desire, 
being  instructed  by  thee.  Of  the  boons  this 
is  the  third  boon. 

XXI 

YAMA  replied:  Even  the  Devas  (Bright 
Ones)  of  old  doubted  regarding  this. 
It  is  not  easy  to  know;  subtle  indeed  is 
this  subject.  O  Nachiketas,  choose  another 
boon.  Do  not  press  me.  Ask  not  this  boon 
of  me. 


48  The   Upanishads 

XXII 

NACHIKETAS  said:  O  Death,  thou 
sayest  that  even  the  Devas  had  doubts 
about  this,  and  that  it  is  not  easy  to  know. 
Another  teacher  like  unto  thee  is  not  to  be 
found.  Therefore  no  other  boon  can  be 
equal  to  this  one. 

XXIII 

YAM  A  said:  Ask  for  sons  and  grandsons 
who  shall  live  a  hundred  years,  many 
cattle,  elephants,  gold  and  horses.     Ask  for 
lands  of  vast  extent  and  live  thyself  as  many 
autumns  as  thou  desirest. 

XXIV 

IF  thou  thinkest  of  any  other  boon  equal 
to  this,  ask  for  wealth  and  long  life;   be 
ruler  over  the  wide  earth.     O  Nachiketas,  I 
shall  make  thee  enjoyer  of  all  desires. 

XXV 

WHATSOEVER   objects   of  desire  are 
difficult    to   obtain    in    the  realm  of 
mortals,  ask  them  all  as  thou  desirest;   these 
lovely    maidens    with    their    chariots    and 


Katha-  Upanishad  49 

musical  instruments,  such  as  are  not  ob- 
tainable by  mortals  —  be  served  by  these 
whom  I  give  to  thee.  0  Nachiketas,  do  not 
ask  regarding  death. 

HpHE  third  boon  asked  by  Nachiketas  concerning  the 
great  Hereafter  was  one  which  could  be  granted  only 
to  those  who  were  freed  from  all  mortal  desires  and  limit- 
ations; therefore  Yama  first  tested  Nachiketas  to  see 
whether  he  was  ready  to  receive  such  knowledge.  "Do 
not  press  me  regarding  this  secret,"  he  said.  "Even  wise 
men  cannot  understand  it  and  thou  art  a  mere  lad.  Take, 
rather,  long  life,  wealth,  whatever  will  give  thee  happiness 
on  the  mortal  plane."  But  the  boy  proved  his  strength 
and  worthiness  by  remaining  firm  in  his  resolution  to  know 
the  great  secret  of  life  and  death. 

XXVI 

lyTACHIKETAS  said:  0  Death,  these  are 
•L^  fleeting;  they  weaken  the  vigor  of  all 
the  senses  in  man.  Even  the  longest  life  is 
short.  Keep  thou  thy  chariots,  dance  and 
music. 

XXVII 

MAN    cannot   be    satisfied   by   wealth. 
Shall  we  possess  wealth  when  we  see 
thee  (Death)?     Shall  we  continue  to  live  as 
long  as  thou  rulest?     Therefore  that  boon 
alone  is  to  be  chosen  by  me. 


5o  The  Upanishads 

XXVIII 

WHAT  man  dwelling  on  the  decaying 
mortal  plane,  having  approached  the 
undecaying  immortal  one,  and  having  re- 
flected upon  the  nature  of  enjoyment  through 
beauty  and  sense  pleasure,  would  delight  in 
long  life? 

XXIX 

O  DEATH,  that  regarding  which  there  is 
doubt,  of  the  great  Hereafter,  tell  us. 
Nachiketas  asks  for  no  other  boon  than  that 
which  penetrates  this  hidden  secret. 


part 


YAMA  said:   The  good  is  one  thing  and 
the    pleasant    another.      These    two, 
having  different  ends,   bind  a  man.     It  is 
well  with  him  who  chooses  the  good.     He 
who  chooses  the  pleasant  misses  the  true  end. 

II 

THE  good  and  the  pleasant  approach 
man;  the  wise  examines  both  and  dis- 
criminates between  them;  the  wise  prefers 
the  good  to  the  pleasant,  but  the  foolish  man 
chooses  the  pleasant  through  love  of  bodily 
pleasure. 

Ill 

ONACHIKETAS,  after  wise  reflection 
thou  hast  renounced  the  pleasant  and 
all  pleasing  forms.     Thou  hast  not  accepted 
this  garland  of  great  value  for  which  many 
mortals  perish. 


52  The  U pants hads 


IV 

WIDE  apart  are  these  two,  —  ignorance 
and  what  is  known  as  wisdom, 
leading  in  opposite  directions.  I  believe 
Nachiketas  to  be  one  who  longs  for  wisdom, 
since  many  tempting  objects  have  not 
turned  thee  aside. 

"\  11  7ITH  this  second  part,  the  Ruler  of  Death  begins  his 
*  *  instructions  regarding  the  great  Hereafter.  There 
are  two  paths,  —  one  leading  Godward,  the  other  leading 
to  worldly  pleasure.  He  who  follows  one  inevitably  goes 
away  from  the  other;  because,  like  light  and  darkness, 
they  conflict.  One  leads  to  the  imperishable  spiritual 
realm;  the  other  to  the  perishable  physical  realm.  Both 
confront  a  man  at  every  step  of  life.  The  discerning  man, 
distinguishing  between  the  two,  chooses  the  Real  and 
Eternal,  and  he  alone  attains  the  highest;  while  the 
ignorant  man,  preferring  that  which  brings  him  immediate 
and  tangible  results,  misses  the  true  purpose  of  his  exist- 
ence. Although  Yama  put  before  Nachiketas  many 
temptations  to  test  his  sincerity  and  earnestness,  he, 
judging  them  at  their  real  value,  refused  them  all,  saying: 
"I  have  come  from  the  mortal  realm,  shall  I  ask  for  what 
is  mortal?  I  desire  only  that  which  is  eternal."  Then 
Death  said  to  him:  "I  now  see  that  thou  art  a  sincere 
desirer  of  Truth.  I  offered  thee  vast  wealth,  long  life 
and  every  form  of  pleasure  which  tempts  and  deludes  men; 
but  thou  hast  proved  thy  worthiness  by  rejecting  them  all." 


Katha-Upanishad  53 


FOOLS  dwelling  in  ignorance,  yet  imagin- 
ing   themselves    wise    and    learned,    go 
round  and  round  in  crooked  ways,  like  the 
blind  led  by  the  blind. 


VI 

THE    Hereafter   never   rises   before    the 
thoughtless   child    (the   ignorant),    de- 
luded   by    the   glamour    of    wealth.      "This 
world  alone  is,  there  is  none  other  ":   thinking 
thus,  he  falls  under  my  sway  again  and  again. 

'TpHERE  are  many  in  the  world,  who,  puffed  up  with 
•*•  intellectual  conceit,  believe  that  they  are  capable  of 
guiding  others.  But  although  they  may  possess  a  certain 
amount  of  worldly  wisdom,  they  are  devoid  of  deeper 
understanding;  therefore  all  that  they  say  merely  increases 
doubt  and  confusion  in  the  minds  of  those  who  hear  them. 
Hence  they  are  likened  to  blind  men  leading  the  blind. 

The  Hereafter  does  not  shine  before  those  who  are 
lacking  in  the  power  of  discrimination  and  are  easily 
carried  away  therefore  by  the  charm  of  fleeting  objects 
As  children  are  tempted  by  toys,  so  they  arc  tempted  by 
pleasure,  power,  name  and  fame.  To  them  these  seem 
the  only  realities.  Being  thus  attached  to  perishable 
things,  they  come  many  times  under  the  dominion  of 
death.  There  is  one  part  of  us  which  must  die;  there  is 


54  The  Upanishads 

another  part  which  never  dies.  When  a  man  can  identify 
himself  with  his  undying  nature,  which  is  one  with  God, 
then  he  overcomes  death. 


VII 

HE  about  whom  many  are  not  even  able 
to  hear,  whom  many  cannot  compre- 
hend even  after  hearing:    wonderful  is  the 
teacher,   wonderful   is    he   who    can  receive 
when  taught  by  an  able  teacher. 

'-pHROUGHOUT  the  Vedic  Scriptures  it  is  declared 
•*•  that  no  one  can  impart  spiritual  knowledge  unless 
he  has  realization.  What  is  meant  by  realization?  It 
means  knowledge  based  on  direct  perception.  In  India 
often  the  best  teachers  have  no  learning,  but  their  character 
is  so  shining  that  every  one  learns  merely  by  coming  in 
contact  with  them.  In  one  of  the  Scriptures  we  read: 
Under  a  banyan  tree  sat  a  youthful  teacher  and  beside 
him  an  aged  disciple.  The  mind  of  the  disciple  was  full  of 
doubts  and  questions,  but  although  the  teacher  continued 
silent,  gradually  every  doubt  vanished  from  the  disciple's 
mind.  This  signifies  that  the  conveying  of  spiritual  teach- 
ing does  not  depend  upon  words  only.  It  is  the  life,  the 
illumination,  which  counts.  Such  God-enlightened  men, 
however,  cannot  easily  be  found;  but  even  with  such  a 
teacher,  the  knowledge  of  the  Self  cannot  be  gained  unless 
the  heart  of  the  disciple  is  open  and  ready  for  the  Truth. 
Hence  Yama  says  both  teacher  and  taught  must  be 
wonderful. 


Katha-  Upanishad  5  5 

VIII 

taught  by  a  man  of  inferior 
understanding,  this  Atman  cannot 
be  truly  known,  even  though  frequently 
thought  upon.  There  is  no  way  (to  know 
It)  unless  it  is  taught  by  another  (an  il- 
lumined teacher),  for  it  is  subtler  than  the 
subtle  and  beyond  argument. 

IX 

O  DEAREST,  this  Atman  cannot  be 
attained  by  argument;  It  is  truly 
known  only  when  taught  by  another  (a  wise 
teacher).  O  Nachiketas,  thou  hast  attained 
It.  Thou  art  fixed  in  Truth.  May  we  ever 
find  a  questioner  like  thee. 

T^NOWLEDGE  of  the  Atman  or  Self  cannot  be  attained 
•'•*•  when  it  is  taught  by  those  who  themselves  lack  in 
real  understanding  of  It;  and  who  therefore,  having  no 
definite  conviction  of  their  own,  differ  among  themselves 
as  to  its  nature  and  existence.  Only  he  who  has  been 
able  to  perceive  the  Self  directly,  through  the  unfoldment 
of  his  higher  nature,  can  proclaim  what  It  actually  is;  and 
his  words  alone  carry  weight  and  bring  illumination.  It 
is  too  subtle  to  be  reached  by  argument.  This  secret 
regarding  the  Hereafter  cannot  be  known  through  reason- 
ing or  mere  intellectual  gymnastics.  It  is  to  be  attained 
only  in  a  state  of  consciousness  which  transcends  the 
boundary  line  of  reason. 


56  The  Upanishads 

X 

I  KNOW  that  (earthly)  treasure  is  transi- 
tory, for  the  eternal  can  never  be  attained 
by  things  which  are  non-eternal.  Hence  the 
Nachiketa  fire  (sacrifice)  has  been  performed 
by  me  with  perishable  things  and  yet  I  have 
attained  the  eternal. 

XI 

ONACHIKETAS,  thou  hast  seen  the  ful- 
filment of  all  desires,  the  basis  of  the 
universe,  the  endless  fruit  of  sacrificial  rites, 
the  other  shore  where  there  is  no  fear,  that 
which  is  praiseworthy,  the  great  and  wide 
support;  yet,  being  wise,  thou  hast  rejected 
all  with  firm  resolve. 

'T^HE  teacher,  saying  that  the  imperishable  cannot  be 
•*•  attained  by  the  perishable,  shows  that  no  amount  of 
observance  of  rituals  and  ceremonies  can  earn  the  im- 
perishable and  eternal.  Although  the  Nachiketa  fire- 
sacrifice  may  bring  results  which  seem  eternal  to  mortals 
because  of  their  long  duration,  yet  they  too  must  come 
to  an  end;  therefore  this  sacrifice  cannot  lead  to  the 
final  goal.  Yama  praises  Nachiketas  because,  when  all 
heavenly  and  earthly  pleasures,  as  well  as  knowledge  of 
all  realms  and  their  enjoyments  were  offered  him,  yet  he 
cast  them  aside  and  remained  firm  in  his  desire  for  Truth 
alone, 


Katha-  Upan  is  had  57 

XII 

THE  wise,  who  by  means  of  the  highest 
meditation  on  the  Self  knows  the 
Ancient  One,  difficult  to  perceive,  seated  in 
the  innermost  recess,  hidden  in  the  cave  of 
the  heart,  dwelling  in  the  depth  of  inner  being, 
(he  who  knows  that  One)  as  God,  is  liberated 
from  the  fetters  of  joy  and  sorrow. 

XIII 

A  MORTAL,  having  heard  and  fully 
grasped  this,  and  having  realized 
through  discrimination  the  subtle  Self,  re- 
joices, because  he  has  obtained  that  which  is 
the  source  of  all  joy.  I  think  the  abode  (of 
Truth)  is  open  to  Nachiketas. 

'"THE  Scriptures  give  three  stages  in  all  spiritual  attain- 
•^  ment.  The  aspirant  must  first  hear  about  the 
Truth  from  an  enlightened  teacher;  next  he  must  reflect 
upon  what  he  has  heard;  then  by  constant  practice  of 
discrimination  and  meditation  he  realizes  it;  and  with 
realization  comes  the  fulfilment  of  every  desire,  because 
it  unites  him  with  the  source  of  all.  Having  beheld  this, 
a  man  learns  that  all  sense  pleasures  are  but  fragmentary 
reflections  of  that  one  supreme  joy,  which  can  be  found  in 
the  true  Self  alone.  Yama  assures  Nachiketas  that  there 
is  no  doubt  of  his  realizing  the  Truth,  because  he  has  shown 
the  highest  discrimination  as  well  as  fixity  of  purpose. 


58  The  Upaniskads 

XIV 

lyTACHIKETAS  said:  That  which  them 
-L^l  seest,  which  is  neither  virtue  nor  vice, 
neither  cause  nor  effect,  neither  past  nor 
future  (but  beyond  these),  tell  me  That. 

XV 

YAMA  replied:   That  goal  which  all  the 
Vedas  glorify,  which  all  austerities  pro- 
claim, desiring  which  (people)  practise  Brah- 
macharya  (a  life  of  continence  and  service), 
that  goal  I  tell  thee  briefly  —  it  is  Aum. 

T  T  7HAT  name  can  man  give  to  God?  How  can  the 
*  *  Infinite  be  bound  by  any  finite  word?  All  that 
language  can  express  must  be  finite,  since  it  is  itself  finite. 
Yet  it  is  very  difficult  for  mortals  to  think  or  speak  of  any- 
thing without  calling  it  by  a  definite  name.  Knowing 
this,  the  Sages  gave  to  the  Supreme  the  name  A-U-M, 
which  stands  as  the  root  of  all  language.  The  first  letter 
"A"  is  the  mother-sound,  being  the  natural  sound  uttered 
by  every  creature  when  the  throat  is  opened,  and  no 
sound  can  be  made  without  opening  the  throat.  The  last 
letter  "M,"  spoken  by  closing  the  lips,  terminates  all 
articulation.  As  one  carries  the  sound  from  the  throat 
to  the  lips,  it  passes  through  the  sound  "U."  These  three 
sounds  therefore  cover  the  whole  field  of  possible  articulate 
sound.  Their  combination  is  called  the  Akshara  or 
the  imperishable  word,  the  Sound-Brahman  or  the  Word- 


Katha-U  panishad  59 

God,  because  it  is  the  most  universal  name  which  can  be 
given  to  the  Supreme.  Hence  it  must  be  the  word  which 
was  "in  the  beginning"  and  corresponds  to  the  Logos  of 
Christian  theology.  It  is  because  of  the  all-embracing 
significance  of  this  name  that  it  is  used  so  universally  in 
the  Vedic  Scriptures  to  designate  the  Absolute. 


T 


XVI 

HIS  Word  is  indeed  Brahman.     This 
Word  is  indeed  the  Supreme.     He  who 
knows  this  Word  obtains  whatever  he  desires. 

XVII 

THIS  is  the  best  Support,  This  is  the 
highest  Support;    he  who  knows  this 
Support  is  glorified  in  the  world  of  Brahman. 

'TpHIS  sacred  Word  is  the  highest  symbol  of  the  Abso- 
•*•  lute.  He  who  through  meditating  on  It  grasps  Its 
full  significance,  realizes  the  glory  of  God  and  at  once 
has  all  his  desires  satisfied,  because  God  is  the  fulfilment 
of  all  desires. 

XVIII 

THIS  Self  is  never  born,  nor  does  It  die. 
It  did  not  spring  from  anything,  nor 
did  anything  spring  from  It.     This  Ancient 
One  is  unborn,  eternal,  everlasting.     It  is  not 
slain  even  though  the  body  is  slain. 


60  The  Upanishads 


XIX 

IF  the  slayer  thinks  that  he  slays,  or  if  the 
slain  thinks  that  he  is  slain,  both  of  these 
know  not.     For  It  neither  slays  nor  is  It 
slain. 

XX 

HpHE  Self  is  subtler  than  the  subtle, 
A  greater  than  the  great;  It  dwells  in  the 
heart  of  each  living  being.  He  who  is  free 
from  desire  and  free  from  grief,  with  mind 
and  senses  tranquil,  beholds  the  glory  of  the 
Atman. 

A  LTHOUGH  this  Atman  dwells  in  the  heart  of  every 
•^•^  living  being,  yet  It  is  not  perceived  by  ordinary 
mortals  because  of  Its  subtlety.  It  cannot  be  perceived 
by  the  senses;  a  finer  spiritual  sight  is  required.  The 
heart  must  be  pure  and  freed  from  every  unworthy  selfish 
desire;  the  thought  must  be  indrawn  from  all  external 
objects;  mind  and  body  must  be  under  control;  when 
the  whole  being  thus  becomes  calm  and  serene,  then  it  is 
possible  to  perceive  that  effulgent  Atman.  It  is  subtler 
than  the  subtle,  because  It  is  the  invisible  essence  of 
every  thing;  and  It  is  greater  than  the  great  because  It  is 
the  boundless,  sustaining  power  of  the  whole  universe; 
that  upon  which  all  existence  rests. 


Katha-U  panishad  61 

XXI 

THOUGH  sitting,  It  travels  far;   though 
lying,  It  goes  everywhere.     Who  else 
save  me  is  fit  to  know  that  God,  who  is  (both) 
joyful  and  joyless? 

'HpHE  Self  is  all-pervading,  hence  It  is  that  which  sits 
•*•  still  and  that  which  travels,  that  which  is  active  and 
that  which  is  inactive.  It  is  both  stationary  and  moving, 
and  It  is  the  basis  of  all  forms  of  existence;  therefore 
whatever  exists  in  the  universe,  whether  joy  or  joylessness, 
pleasure  or  pain,  must  spring  from  It.  Who  is  better  able 
to  know  God  than  I  myself,  since  He  resides  in  my  heart 
and  is  the  very  essence  of  my  being?  Such  should  be  the 
attitude  of  one  who  is  seeking. 

XXII 

THE  wise  who  know  the  Self,  bodiless, 
seated  within  perishable  bodies,  great 
and  all-pervading,  grieve  not. 

WHEN  a  wise  man  through  the  practice  of  discrimi- 
nation has  seen  clearly  the  distinction  between 
body  and  Soul,  he  knows  that  his  true  Self  is  not  the  body, 
though  It  dwells  in  the  body.  Thus  realizing  the  inde- 
structible, all-pervading  nature  of  his  real  Self,  he  sur- 
mounts all  fear  of  death  or  loss,  and  is  not  moved  even  by 
the  greatest  sorrow. 


62  The  Upanishads 


XXIII 

Ft  ^HIS  Self  cannot  be  attained  by  study 
A  of  the  Scriptures,  nor  by  intellectual 
perception,  nor  by  frequent  hearing  (of  It); 
He  whom  the  Self  chooses,  by  him  alone  is  It 
attained.  To  him  the  Self  reveals  Its  true 
nature. 

WE  may  imagine  that  by  much  study  we  can  find  out 
God;  but  merely  hearing  about  a  thing  and  gaining 
an  intellectual  comprehension  of  it  does  not  mean  attain- 
ing true  knowledge  of  it.  Knowledge  only  comes  through 
direct  perception,  and  direct  perception  of  God  is  possible 
for  those  alone  who  are  pure  in  heart  and  spiritually 
awakened.  Although  He  is  alike  to  all  beings  and  His 
mercy  is  on  all,  yet  the  impure  and  worldy-minded  do  not 
get  the  blessing,  because  they  do  not  know  how  to  open 
their  hearts  to  it.  He  who  longs  for  God,  him  the  Lord 
chooses;  because  to  him  alone  can  He  reveal  His  true 
nature. 

XXIV 

HE  who  has  not  turned  away  from  evil 
conduct,  whose  senses  are  uncontrolled, 
who  is  not  tranquil,  whose  mind  is  not  at  rest, 
he  can  never  attain   this  Atman  even   by 
knowledge. 


Katha-  Upanishad  63 

VTAMA,  having  first  described  what  the  Atman  is,  now 
•*•  tells  us  how  to  attain  It.  A  man  must  try  to  subdue 
his  lower  nature  and  gain  control  over  the  body  and  senses. 
He  must  conquer  the  impure  selfish  desires  which  now 
disturb  the  serenity  of  his  mind,  that  it  may  grow  calm 
and  peaceful.  In  other  words,  he  must  live  the  life  and 
develop  all  spiritual  qualities  in  order  to  perceive  the  Atman. 


XXV 

WHO    then    can    know    where   is    this 
mighty    Self?     He     (that    Self)     to 
whom  the  Brdhmanas  and  Kshatriyas  are  but 
food  and  death  itself  a  condiment. 

'T^HIS  text  proclaims  the  glory  and  majesty  of  the 
•^  Supreme.  The  Brdhmanas  stand  for  spiritual 
strength,  the  Kshatriyas  for  physical  strength,  yet  both 
are  overpowered  by  His  mightiness.  Life  and  death  alike 
are  food  for  Him.  As  the  light  of  the  great  sun  swallows 
up  all  the  lesser  lights  of  the  universe,  similarly  all  worlds 
are  lost  in  the  effulgence  of  the  Eternal  Omnipresent 
Being. 


Part  Ctrfrfc 
i 

THERE  are  two  who  enjoy  the  fruits  of 
their  good  deeds  in  the  world,  having 
entered  into  the  cave  of  the  heart,  seated 
(there)  on  the  highest  summit.  The  knowers 
of  Brahman  call  them  shadow  and  light.  So 
also  (they  are  called)  by  householders  who 
perform  five  fire-sacrifices  or  three  Nachi- 
keta  fire-sacrifices. 

T  TERE  the  two  signify  the  Higher  Self  and  the  lower 
•*•  •*•  self,  dwelling  in  the  innermost  cave  of  the  heart. 
The  Seers  of  Truth,  as  well  as  householders  who  follow 
the  path  of  rituals  and  outer  forms  with  the  hope  of  enjoy- 
ing the  fruits  of  their  good  deeds,  both  proclaim  that  the 
Higher  Self  is  like  a  light  and  the  lower  self  like  a  shadow. 
When  the  Truth  shines  clearly  in  the  heart  of  the  knower. 
then  he  surmounts  the  apparent  duality  of  his  nature  and 
becomes  convinced  that  there  is  but  One,  and  that  all 
outer  manifestations  are  nothing  but  reflections  or  pro- 
jections of  that  One. 

II 

MAY  we  be  able  to  learn  that  Nachi- 
keta  fire-sacrifice,  which  is  a  bridge 
for  those  who  perform  sacrifice.     May  we 
also  know  the  One,  who  is  the  highest  im- 


Katha-  Upanishad  65 

perishable  Brahman  for  those  who  desire  to 
cross  over  to  the  other  shore  which  is  beyond 
fear. 

npHE  significance  of  this  text  is:  May  we  acquire  the 
knowledge  of  Brahman,  the  Supreme,  in  both  mani- 
fested and  unmanifested  form.  He  is  manifested  as  the 
Lord  of  sacrifice  for  those  who  follow  the  path  of  ritual. 
He  is  the  unmanifested,  eternal,  universal  Supreme  Being 
for  those  who  follow  the  path  of  wisdom.  The  "other 
shore,"  being  the  realm  of  immortality,  is  said  to  be  beyond 
fear;  because  disease,  death,  and  all  that  which  mortals 
fear,  cease  to  exist  there.  It  is  believed  by  many  that 
these  two  opening  verses  were  a  later  interpolation. 

Ill 

KNOW  the  Atman  (Self)  as  the  lord  of 
the  chariot,  and  the  body  as  the  chariot. 
Know  also  the  intellect  to  be  the  driver  and 
mind  the  reins. 

IV 

'  I  AHE  senses  are  called  the  horses;    the 
-A      sense  objects  are  the  roads;   when  the 
Atman  is  united  with  body,  senses  and  mind, 
then  the  wise  call  Him  the  enjoyer. 

T  N  the  third  chapter  Yama  defines  what  part  of  our  being 
•*•  dies  and  what  part  is  deathless,  what  is  mortal  and  what 
is  immortal.  But  the  Atman,  the  Higher  Self,  is  so  entirely 
beyond  human  conception  that  it  is  impossible  to  give  a 


66  The  Upanishads 

direct  definition  of  It.  Only  through  similies  can  some  idea 
of  It  be  conveyed.  That  is  the  reason  why  all  the  great 
Teachers  of  the  world  have  so  often  taught  in  the  fcrm  of 
parables.  So  here  the  Ruler  of  Death  represents  the  Self 
as  the  lord  of  this  chariot  of  the  body.  The  intellect  or 
discriminative  faculty  is  the  driver,  who  controls  these 
wild  horses  of  the  senses  by  holding  firmly  the  reins  of  the 
mind.  The  roads  over  which  these  horses  travel  are  made 
up  of  all  the  external  objects  which  attract  or  repel  the 
senses:  —  the  sense  of  smelling  follows  the  path  of  sweet 
odors,  the  sense  of  seeing  the  way  of  beautiful  sights. 
Thus  each  sense,  unless  restrained  by  the  discriminative 
faculty,  seeks  to  go  out  towards  its  special  objects.  When 
the  Self  is  joined  with  body,  mind  and  senses,  It  is  called 
the  intelligent  enjoyer;  because  It  is  the  one  who  wills, 
feels,  perceives  and  does  everything. 


HE  who  is  without  discrimination  and 
whose  mind  is  always  uncontrolled, 
his  senses  are  unmanageable,  like  the  vicious 
horses  of  a  driver. 

VI 

BUT  he  who  is  full  of  discrimination  and 
whose  mind  is  always  controlled,   his 
senses  are  manageable,  like  the  good  horses 
of  a  driver. 


Katha-U  panishad  67 

'T^HE  man  whose  intellect  is  not  discriminative  and 
•*•  who  fails  to  distinguish  right  from  wrong,  the  real 
from  the  unreal,  is  carried  away  by  his  sense  passions  and 
desires,  just  as  a  driver  is  carried  away  by  vicious  horses 
over  which  he  has  lost  control.  But  he  who  clearly  dis- 
tinguishes what  is  good  from  what  is  merely  pleasant,  and 
controls  all  his  out-going  forces  from  running  after  apparent 
momentary-  pleasures,  his  senses  obey  and  serve  him  as 
good  horses  obey  their  driver. 

VII 

HE  who  does  not  possess  discrimination, 
whose  mind  is  uncontrolled  and  al- 
ways impure,  he  does  not  reach  that  goal,  but 
falls  again  into  Samsdra  (realm  of  birth  and 
death). 

VIII 

BUT  he  who  possesses  right  discrimina- 
tion, whose  mind  is  under  control  and 
always   pure,    he   reaches    that   goal,    from 
which  he  is  not  born  again. 

IX 

THE    man    who    has    a    discriminative 
intellect  for   the  driver,   and  a   con- 
trolled mind  for  the  reins,  reaches  the  end 
of  the  journey,  the  highest  place  of  Vishnu 
(the  All-pervading  and  Unchangeable  One). 


68  The  Upanishads 

A  DRIVER  must  possess  first  a  thorough  knowledge  of 
•**•  the  road;  next  he  must  understand  how  to  handle 
the  reins  and  control  his  horses.  Then  will  he  drive  safely 
to  his  destination.  Similarly  in  this  journey  of  life,  our 
mind  and  senses  must  be  wholly  under  the  control  of  our 
higher  discriminative  faculty;  for  only  when  all  our  forces 
work  in  unison  can  we  hope  to  reach  the  goal  —  the  abode 
of  Absolute  Truth. 

X 

BEYOND    the    senses    are    the    objects, 
beyond  the  objects  is  the  mind,  beyond 
the  mind  is  the  intellect,  beyond  the  intellect 
is  the  great  Atman. 

XI 

BEYOND   the  great  Atman  is  the  Un- 
manifested;    beyond  the  Unmanifested 
is  the  Purusha  (the  Cosmic  Soul);    beyond 
the  Purusha  there  is  nothing.     That  is  the 
end,  that  is  the  final  goal. 

TN  these  two  verses  the  Teacher  shows  the  process  of 
•*•  discrimination,  by  which  one  attains  knowledge  of  the 
subtle  Self.  Beginning  with  the  sense-organs,  he  leads  up 
to  the  less  and  less  gross,  until  he  reaches  that  which  is 
subtlest  of  all,  the  true  Self  of  man.  The  senses  are 
dependent  on  sense-objects,  because  without  these  the 
senses  would  have  no  utility.  Superior  to  sense-objects  is 
the  mind,  because  unless  these  objects  affect  the  mind,  they 


Katha-U  panishad  69 

cannot  influence  the  senses.  Over  the  mind  the  deter- 
minative faculty  exercises  power;  this  determinative 
faculty  is  governed  by  the  individual  Self;  beyond  this 
Self  is  the  undifferentiated  creative  energy  known  as 
Avyaklam;  and  above  this  is  the  Purusha  or  Supreme  Self. 
Than  this  there  is  nothing  higher.  That  is  the  goal,  the 
Highest  Abode  of  Peace  and  Bliss. 


XII 

THIS  Atman  (Self),  hidden  in  all  beings, 
does  not  shine  forth;  but  It  is  seen  by 
subtle  seers  through  keen  and  subtle  under- 
standing. 

TF  It  dwells  in  all  living  beings,  why  do  we  not  see  It? 
•*•  Because  the  ordinary  man's  vision  is  too  dull  and  dis- 
tracted. It  is  visible  to  those  alone  whose  intellect  has 
been  purified  by  constant  thought  on  the  Supreme,  and 
whose  sight  therefore  has  become  refined  and  sharpened. 
This  keenness  of  vision  comes  only  when  all  our  forces 
have  been  made  one-pointed  through  steadfast  practice 
of  concentration  and  meditation. 


XIII 

A  WISE  man  should   control  speech  by 
mind,  mind  by  intellect,  intellect  by 
the  great  Atman,  and  that  by  the  Peaceful 
One    (the  Paramdtman  or  Supreme  Self). 


yo  The  Upanishads 

T  TERE  Yama  gives  the  practical  method  to  be  followed 
*  ^  if  one  wishes  to  realize  the  Supreme.  The  word 
"speech"  stands  for  all  the  senses.  First,  therefore,  a 
man  must  control  his  outgoing  senses  by  the  mind.  Then 
the  mind  must  be  brought  under  the  control  of  the  dis- 
criminative faculty;  that  is,  it  must  be  withdrawn  from 
all  sense-objects  and  cease  to  waste  its  energies  on  non- 
essential  things.  The  discriminative  faculty  in  turn  must 
be  controlled  by  the  higher  individual  intelligence  and 
this  must  be  governed  wholly  by  the  Supreme  Intelligence. 

XIV 

ARISE!       AWAKE!       Having   reached 
the  Great  Ones  (illumined  Teachers), 
gain  understanding.     The  path  is  as  sharp 
as  a  razor,  impassable  and  difficult  to  travel, 
so  the  wise  declare. 

'TpHIS  is  the  eternal  call  of  the  wise:  Awake  from  the 
•••  slumber  of  ignorance!  Arise  and  seek  out  those  who 
know  the  Truth,  because  only  those  who  have  direct  vision 
of  Truth  are  capable  of  teaching  It.  Invoke  their  blessing 
with  a  humble  spirit  and  seek  to  be  instructed  by  them. 
The  path  is  very  difficult  to  tiead.  No  thoughtless  or 
lethargic  person  can  safely  travel  on  it.  One  must  be 
strong,  wakeful  and  persevering. 

XV 

KNOWING    That    which    is    soundless, 
touchless,  formless,  undecaying;    also 
tasteless,  odorless,  and  eternal;  beginningless, 


Katba-  Upanishad  71 

endless  and  immutable;  beyond  the  Un- 
manifested:  (knowing  That)  man  escapes 
from  the  mouth  of  death. 


'HpHE  Ruler  of  Death  defines  here  the  innermost  essence 
•*•  of  our  being.  Because  of  its  extreme  subtlety,  it 
cannot  be  heard  or  felt  or  smelled  or  tasted  like  any  ordi- 
nary object.  It  never  dies.  It  has  no  beginning  or  end. 
It  is  unchangeable.  Realizing  this  Supreme  Reality,  man 
escapes  from  death  and  attains  everlasting  life.  Thus 
the  Teacher  has  gradually  led  Nachiketas  to  a  point  where 
he  can  reveal  to  him  the  secret  of  death.  The  boy  had 
thought  that  there  was  a  place  where  he  could  stay  and 
become  immortal.  But  Yama  shows  him  that  immor- 
tality is  a  state  of  consciousness  and  is  not  gained  so  long 
as  man  clings  to  name  and  form,  or  to  perishable  objects. 
What  dies?  Form.  Therefore  the  formful  man  dies;  but 
not  that  which  dwells  within.  Although  inconceivably 
subtle,  the  Sages  have  always  made  an  effort  through 
similies  and  analogies  to  give  some  idea  of  this  inner  Self 
or  the  God  within.  They  have  described  It  as  beyond 
mind  and  speech;  too  subtle  for  ordinary  perception, 
but  not  beyond  the  range  of  purified  vision. 


XVI 

THE  intelligent  man,  who  has  heard  and 
repeated  the  ancient  story  of  Nachi- 
ketas, told  by  the  Ruler  of  Death,  is  glorified 
in  the  world  of  Brahman. 


72  The  Upaniskads 

XVII 

HE  who  with  devotion  recites  this  highest 
secret  of  immortality  before  an  as- 
sembly of  Brdhmanas  (pious  men)  or  at  the 
time  of  Shrdddha  (funeral  ceremonies),  gains 
everlasting  reward,  he  gains  everlasting 
reward. 


jFourtb 


i 

THE  Self-existent  created  the  senses 
out-going;  for  this  reason  man  sees 
the  external,  but  not  the  inner  Atman  (Self). 
Some  wise  man,  however,  desiring  immor- 
tality, with  eyes  turned  away  (from  the 
external)  sees  the  Atman  within. 

TN  the  last  chapter  the  Ruler  of  Death  instructed  Nachi- 
•*•  ketas  regarding  the  nature  and  glory  of  the  Self.  Now 
he  shows  the  reason  why  the  Self  is  not  seen  by  the  majority. 
It  is  because  man's  mind  is  constantly  drawn  outward 
thiough  the  channels  of  his  senses,  and  this  prevents  his 
seeing  the  inner  Self  (Pratyagdtmari);  but  now  and  then 
a  seeker,  wiser  than  others,  goes  within  and  attains  the 
vision  of  the  undying  Self. 

II 

/CHILDREN  (the  ignorant)  pursue  ex- 
^^  ternal  pleasures;  (thus)  they  fall  into 
the  wide-spread  snare  of  death.  But  the 
wise,  knowing  the  nature  of  immortality,  do 
not  seek  the  permanent  among  fleeting 
things. 


74  The  Upanishads 

'TpHOSE  who  are  devoid  of  discrimination  and  fail  to 
•*•  distinguish  between  real  and  unreal,  the  fleeting  and 
the  permanent,  set  their  hearts  on  the  changeable  things 
of  this  world;  hence  they  entangle  themselves  in  the  net 
of  insatiable  desire,  which  leads  inevitably  to  disappoint- 
ment and  suffering.  To  such,  death  must  seem  a  reality; 
because  they  identify  themselves  with  that  which  is  born 
and  which  dies.  But  the  wise,  who  see  deeper  into  the 
nature  of  things,  are  no  longer  deluded  by  the  charm  of  the 
phenomenal  world  and  do  not  seek  for  permanent  happi- 
ness among  its  passing  enjoyments. 

Ill 

THAT  by  which  one  knows  form,  taste, 
smell,  sound,  touch  and  sense  enjoy- 
ments, by  That  also  one  knows  whatever 
remains  (to  be  known).     This  verily  is  That 
(which  thou  hast  asked  to  know). 

IV 

THAT  by  which  a  mortal  perceives,  both 
in  dream  and  in  waking,  by  knowing 
that  great  all-pervading  Atman  the  wise  man 
grieves  no  more. 

TN  these  verses  the  teacher  tries  to  make  plain  that  all 

knowledge,  as    well  as  all  sense  perception,  in  every 

state  of  consciousness  —  sleeping,  dreaming  or  waking  —  is 

possible  only  because  the  Self  exists.    There  can  be  no 


Katba-Upanishad  75 

knowledge  or  perception  independent  of  the  Self.  Wise 
men,  aware  of  this,  identify  themselves  with  their  Higher 
Self  and  thus  transcend  the  realm  of  grief. 

V 

HE  who  knows  this  Atman,  the  honey- 
eater    (perceiver  and  enjoyer  of  ob- 
jects), ever  near,  as  the  lord  of  the  past  and 
future,  fears  no  more.     This  verily  is  That. 

VI 

HE   who   sees   Him   seated  in   the   five 
elements,    born    of    Tapas     (fire    of 
Brahman),  born    before  water;  who,  having 
entered  the  cave  of  the  heart,  abides  therein 
—  this  verily  is  That. 

'  I  ''HIS  verse  indicates  that  He,  the  Great  Self,  is  the  cause 
of  all  created  objects.  According  to  the  Vedas,  His 
first  manifestation  was  Brahma,  the  Personal  God  or 
Creator,  born  of  the  fire  of  wisdom.  He  existed  before  the 
evolution  of  the  five  elements  —  earth,  water,  fire,  air  and 
ether;  hence  He  was  "born  before  water."  He  is  the  Self 
dwelling  in  the  hearts  of  all  creatures. 

VII 

HE    who  knows    Aditi,  who   rises   with 
Prana  (the  Life  Principle),  existent  in 
all  the  Devas;  who,  having  entered  into  the 


76  The  Upanishads 

heart,  abides  there;   and  who  was  born  from 
the  elements  —  this  verily  is  That. 


T 


HIS  verse  is  somewhat  obscure  and  seems  like  an 
interpolated  amplification  of  the  preceding  verse. 


VIII 


THE  all-seeing  fire  which  exists  hidden 
in  the  two  sticks,  as  the  foetus  is  well- 
guarded  in  the  womb  by  the  mother,  (that 
fire)  is  to  be  worshipped  day  after  day  by 
wakeful  seekers  (after  wisdom)  ,  as  well  as  by 
sacrificers.  This  verily  is  That. 


is  called  all-seeing  because  its  light  makes  every- 
thing  visible.  In  Vedic  sacrifices  the  altar  fire  was 
always  kindled  by  rubbing  together  two  sticks  of  a  special 
kind  of  wood  called  Arani.  Because  fire  was  regarded  as 
one  of  the  most  perfect  symbols  of  Divine  wisdom,  it  was 
to  be  worshipped  by  all  seekers  after  Truth,  whether  they 
followed  the  path  of  meditation  or  the  path  of  rituals. 


IX 

FROM  whence  the  sun  rises,  and  whither 
it  goes   at   setting,  upon  That  all  the 
Devas  depend.     No  one  goes  beyond  That. 
This  verily  is  That. 


Katba-  Upanishad  7  7 

X 

WHAT  is  here   (in  the  visible  world), 
that  is  there   (in  the  invisible);    he 
who    sees    difference    (between    visible    and 
invisible)  goes  from  death  to  death. 

XI 

BY   mind    alone   this  is   to   be   realized. 
There  is  no    difference  whatever   (be- 
tween visible  and  invisible).     He  who  sees 
difference  here   (between   these)   goes  from 
death  to  death. 

T  N  the  sight  of  true  wisdom,  there  is  no  difference  between 
the  creator  and  the  created.  Even  physical  science  has 
come  to  recognize  that  cause  and  effect  are  but  two  aspects 
of  one  manifestation  of  energy.  He  who  fails  to  see  this, 
being  engrossed  in  the  visible  only,  goes  from  death  to 
death;  because  he  clings  to  external  forms  which  are  per- 
ishable. Only  the  essence  which  dwells  within  is  unchange- 
able and  imperishable.  This  knowledge  of  the  oneness  of 
visible  and  invisible,  however,  cannot  be  acquired  through 
sense-perception.  It  can  only  be  attained  by  the  purified 
mind. 

XII 


Purusha   (Self),   of  the  size  of  a 
A     thumb,  resides  in  the  middle  of  the 
body  as  the  lord  of  the  past  and  the  future, 


78  The  Upanishads 

(he  who  knows  Him)  fears  no  more.     This 
verily  is  That. 

npHE  seat  of  the  Purusha  is  said  to  be  the  heart,  hence  It 
"resides  in  the  middle  of  the  body."  Although  It 
is  limitless  and  all-pervading,  yet  in  relation  to  Its  abiding- 
place  It  is  represented  as  limited  in  extension,  "the  size  of 
a  thumb."  This  refers  really  to  the  heart,  which  in  shape 
may  be  likened  to  a  thumb.  As  light  is  everywhere,  yet 
we  see  it  focused  in  a  lamp  and  believe  it  to  be  there  only; 
similarly,  although  the  life-current  flows  everywhere  in 
the  body,  the  heart  is  regarded  as  peculiarly  its  seat. 

XIII 

THAT  Purusha,  of  the  size  of  a  thumb, 
is  like  a  light  without  smoke,  lord  of 
the  past  and  the  future.     He  is  the  same 
today  and  tomorrow.      This  verily  is  That. 

TN  this  verse  the  teacher  defines  the  effulgent  nature  of 
the  Soul,  whose  light  is  pure  like  a  flame  without  smoke. 
He  also  answers  the  question  put  by  Nachiketas  as  to  what 
happens  after  death,  by  declaring  that  no  real  change 
takes  place,  because  the  Soul  is  ever  the  same. 

XIV 

\  S  rain  water,  (falling)  on  the  mountain 
*^-  top,  runs  down  over  the  rocks  on  all 
sides;  similarly,  he  who  sees  difference 


Katba-  Upanishad  79 

(between  visible  forms)  runs  after  them  in 
various  directions. 

XV 

O  GAUTAMA  (Nachiketas),  as  pure  water 
poured  into  pure  water  becomes  one,  so 
also  is  it  with  the  Self  of  an  illumined  Knower 
(he  becomes  one  with  the  Supreme). 


Part 


THE  city  of  the  Unborn,  whose  knowl- 
edge is  unchanging,  has  eleven  gates. 
Thinking   on   Him,   man   grieves   no  more; 
and  being  freed  (from  ignorance),  he  attains 
liberation.     This  verily  is  That. 

'  I  AHIS  human  body  is  called  a  city  with  eleven  gates, 
where  the  eternal  unborn  Spirit  dwells.  These  gates 
are  the  two  eyes,  two  ears,  two  nostrils,  the  mouth,  the 
navel,  the  two  lower  apertures,  and  the  imperceptible 
opening  at  the  top  of  the  head.  The  Self  or  Atman  holds 
the  position  of  ruler  in  this  city;  and  being  above  the 
modifications  of  birth,  death  and  all  human  imperfections, 
It  is  not  affected  by  the  changes  of  the  physical  organism. 
As  the  intelligent  man  through  constant  thought  and 
meditation  realizes  the  splendor  of  this  Supreme  Spirit, 
he  becomes  free  from  that  part  of  his  nature  which  grieves 
and  suffers,  and  thus  he  attains  liberation. 

II 

HE  is   the  sun  dwelling  in   the  bright 
heaven;    He   is   the   air   dwelling  in 
space;    He  is  the  fire  burning  on  the  altar; 
He  is  the  guest  dwelling  in  the.  house.     He 
dwells  in  man.     He  dwells  in  those  greater 


Katha-  Upanishad  8 1 

than  man.  He  dwells  in  sacrifice.  He 
dwells  in  the  ether.  He  is  (all  that  is)  born 
in  water,  (all  that)  is  born  in  earth,  (all  that) 
is  born  in  sacrifice,  (all  that)  is  born  on 
mountains.  He  is  the  True  and  the  Great. 

Ill 

HE  it  is  who  sends  the  (in-coming)  Prana 
(life-breath)  upward   and  throws  the 
(out-going)  breath  downward.     Him  all  the 
senses  worship,  the  adorable  Atman,  seated 
in  the  centre  (the  heart). 

IV 

WHEN  this  Atman,  which  is  seated  in 
the  body,  goes  out  (from  the  body), 
what  remains  then?     This  verily  is  That. 

V 

NO  mortal  lives  by  the  in-coming  breath 
(Prana)   or  by   the  out-going  breath 
(Apdna),  but  he  lives  by  another  on  which 
these  two  depend. 


82  The  Upanishads 

VI 

O  GAUTAMA   (Nachiketas),  I  shall  de- 
clare unto  thee  the  secret  of  the  eternal 
Brahman  and  what  happens  to  the  Self  after 
death. 

VII 

SOME    Jivas     (individual    Souls)     enter 
wombs  to  be  embodied;   others  go  into 
immovable  forms,  according  to  their  deeds 
and  knowledge. 

'  I  ''HIS  text  shows  the  application  of  the  law  of  cause  and 
effect  to  all  forms  of  life.    The  thoughts  and  actions 
of  the  present  life  determine  the  future  birth  and  environ- 
ment. 

VIII 

'  I  ^HE  Being  who  remains  awake  while  all 
-•-  sleep,  who  grants  all  desires,  That  is 
pure,  That  is  Brahman,  That  alone  is  said  to 
be  immortal.  On  That  all  the  worlds  rest. 
None  goes  beyond  That.  This  verily  is  That. 

IX 

AS  fire,  though  one,  having  entered  the 
world,  becomes  various  according  to 
what  it  burns,  so   does   the   Atman    (Self) 


Katha-  Upanishad  83 

within  all  living  beings,  though  one,  become 
various  according  to  what  it  enters.  It  also 
exists  outside. 

X 

AS  air,  though  one,  having  entered  the 
world,  becomes  various  according  to 
what  it  enters,  so  does  the  Atman  within  all 
living  beings,  though  one,  become  various 
according  to  what  it  enters.  It  also  exists 
outside. 

t>  Y  using  these  similies  of  fire  and  air,  the  teacher  tries 
to  show  Nachiketas  the  subtle  quality  of  the  great 
Self,  who,  although  one  and  formless  like  air  and  fire,  yet 
assumes  different  shapes  according  to  the  form  in  which 
It  dwells.  But,  being  all-pervading  and  unlimited,  It 
cannot  be  confined  to  these  forms;  therefore  it  is  said  that 
It  also  exists  outside  all  forms. 

XI 

AS  the  sun,  the  eye  of  the  whole  world,  is 
not  denied  by  external  impurities  seen 
by  the  eyes,  thus  the  one  inner  Self  of  all 
living  beings  is  not  denied  by  the  misery  of 
the  world,  being  outside  it. 

'  I  ^HE  sun  is  called  the  eye  of  the  world  because  it  reveals 

all   objects.     As   the   sun   may   shine   on   the   most 

impure  object,  yet  remain  uncon laminated  by  it,  so  the 


84  The  Upanishads 

Divine  Self  within  is  not  touched  by  the  impurity  or 
suffering  of  the  physical  form  in  which  it  dwells,  the  Self 
being  beyond  all  bodily  limitations. 


XII 

THERE  is  one  ruler,  the  Self  of  all  living 
beings,  who  makes  the  one  form  mani- 
fold;   the    wise  who  perceive   Him    seated 
within  their  Self,   to  them  belongs  eternal 
bliss,  not  to  others. 

XIII 

ETERNAL    among    the    changing,    con- 
sciousness of  the  conscious,  who,  though 
one,  fulfils  the  desires  of  many :  the  wise  who 
perceive   Him    seated  within  their  Self,    to 
them  belongs  eternal  peace,  not  to  others. 

XIV 

THEY    (the   wise)    perceive    that   inde- 
scribable   highest    bliss,    saying,   This 
is  That.     How  am  I  to  know  It?     Does  It 
shine  (by  Jts  own  light)  or  does  It  shine  (by 
reflected  light)? 


Katba-U  panishad  85 

XV 

THE  sun  does  not  shine  there,  nor  the 
moon,   nor   the  stars;    nor  do   these 
lightnings  shine  there,  much  less  this  fire. 
When    He    shines,    everything   shines    after 
Him;    by  His  light  all  is  lighted. 


Part 


THIS  ancient  Aswattha  tree  has  its  root 
above  and  branches  below.  That  is 
pure,  That  is  Brahman,  That  alone  is  called 
the  Immortal.  All  the  worlds  rest  in  That. 
None  goes  beyond  That.  This  verily  is 
That. 

'  I  ''HIS  verse  indicates  the  origin  of  the  tree  of  creation 
(the  Samsdra-Vriksha),  which  is  rooted  above  in 
Brahman,  the  Supreme,  and  sends  its  branches  downward 
into  the  phenomenal  world.  Heat  and  cold,  pleasure  and 
pain,  birth  and  death,  and  all  the  shifting  conditions  of  the 
mortal  realm  —  these  are  the  branches  ;  but  the  origin  of 
the  tree,  the  Brahman,  is  eternally  pure,  unchanging,  free 
and  deathless.  From  the  highest  angelic  form  to  the 
minutest  atom,  all  created  things  have  their  origin  in  Him. 
He  is  the  foundation  of  the  universe.  There  is  nothing 
beyond  Him. 

II 

WHATEVER  there  is  in  the  universe 
is  evolved  from  Prdna  and  vibrates 
in  Prana.     That  is  a  mighty  terror,  like  an 
upraised  thunderbolt.     They  who  know  That 
become  immortal. 


Katba-Upanishad  87 


III 

FROM  fear  of  Him  the  fire  burns,  from 
fear  of  Him  the  sun  shines.     From  fear 
of  Him  Indra  and  Vayu  and  Death,  the  fifth, 
speed  forth. 

JUST  as  the  body  cannot  live  or  act  without  the  Soul, 
similarly  nothing  in  the  created  world  can  exist  inde- 
pendent of  Brahman,  who  is  the  basis  of  all  existence. 
His  position  is  like  that  of  a  king  whom  all  must  obey; 
hence  it  is  said  that  the  gods  of  sun,  moon,  wind,  rain,  do 
His  bidding.  He  is  likened  to  an  upraised  thunderbolt, 
because  of  the  impartial  and  inevitable  nature  of  His  law, 
which  all  powers,  great  or  small,  must  obey  absolutely. 


IV 

IF  a  man  is  not  able  to  know  Him  before 
the  dissolution  of  the  body,  then  he  be- 
comes embodied  again  in  the  created  worlds. 

A  S  soon  as  a  man  acquires  knowledge  of  the  Supreme, 
he  is  liberated;  but  if  he  fails  to  attain  such  knowledge 
before  his  Soul  is  separated  from  the  body,  then  he  must 
take  other  bodies  and  return  again  and  again  to  this  realm 
of  birth  and  death,  until  through  varied  experience  he 
realizes  the  nature  of  the  Supreme  and  his  relation  to  Him. 


The  Upanishads 


AS  in  a  mirror,  so  is  He  seen  within 
oneself;  as  in  a  dream,  so  (is  He  seen) 
in  the  world  of  the  fathers  (departed  spirits) ; 
as  in  water,  so  (is  He  seen)  in  the  world  of 
Gandharoas  (the  angelic  realm).  As  light 
and  shadow,  so  (is  He  seen)  in  the  world  of 
Brahma  (the  Creator). 

VIT'HEX  by  means  of  a  purified  understanding  one 
beholds  God  within,  the  image  is  distinct  as  in  a 
polished  mirror;  but  one  cannot  have  clear  vision  of  the 
Supreme  by  attaining  to  the  various  realms  known  as 
heavens,  where  one  reaps  the  fruit  of  his  good  deeds.  It 
is  only  by  developing  one's  highest  consciousness  here  in 
this  life  that  perfect  God-vision  can  be  attained. 

VI 

KNOWING  that  the  senses  are  distinct 
(from  the  Atman)  and  their  rising  and 
setting  separate   (from  the  Atman},  a  wise 
man  grieves  no  more. 

A  WISE  man  never  confounds  the  Atman,  which  is 
!*^  birthless  and  deathless,  with  that  which  has  beginning 
and  end.  Therefore,  when  he  sees  his  senses  and  his 
physical  organism  waxing  and  waning,  he  knows  that  his 
real  Self  within  can  never  be  affected  by  these  outer 
changes,  so  he  remains  unmoved. 


Katha-  Upanishad  89 

VII 

HIGHER  than  the  senses  is  the  mind, 
higher  than  the  mind  is  the  intellect, 
higher  than  the  intellect  is  the  great  Atman, 
higher  than  the  Atman  is  the  Unmanifested. 

VIII 

BEYOND   the  Unmanifested  is  the  all- 
pervading    and    imperceptible    Being 
(Purusha).    By  knowing  Him,  the  mortal  is 
liberated  and  attains  immortality. 

'  I  *HIS   division   of   the    individual   into   senses,   mind, 
intellect,  self-consciousness,  undifferentiated  creative 
energy  and  the  Absolute  Self  is  explained   in   the   com- 
mentary of  verse  XI,  Part  Third. 

IX 

HIS  form  is  not  to  be  seen.     No  one  can 
see  Him  with  the  eye.     He  is  per- 
ceived by  the  heart,  by  the  intellect  and  by 
the   mind.     They   who   know   this   become 
immortal. 

r*HE  Supreme,  being  formless,  cannot  be  discerned  by 

the  senses;    hence  all  knowledge  of  Him  must  be 

acquired  by  the  subtler  faculties  of  heart,  intellect  and 

mind,  which  are  developed  only  through  the  purifying 

practice  of  meditation. 


90  The  Upanishads 

X 

WHEN    the   five   organs   of   perception 
become  still,  together  with  the  mind, 
and  the  intellect  ceases  to  be  active  :  that  is 
called  the  highest  state. 

¥~*HE  teacher  now  shows  Nachiketas  the  process  by 
which  the  transcendental  vision  can  be  attained. 
The  out-going  senses,  —  seeing,  hearing,  smelling,  touch- 
ing, tasting;  the  restless  mind  and  the  intellect:  all  must 
be  indrawn  and  quieted.  The  state  of  equilibrium  thus 
attained  is  called  the  highest  state,  because  all  the  forces 
of  one's  being  become  united  and  focused;  and  this  in- 
evitably leads  to  supersensuous  vision. 

XI 

THIS  firm  holding  back  of  the  senses  is 
what  is  known  as  Yoga.     Then  one 
should  become  watchful,  for  Yoga  comes  and 
goes. 


literally  means  to  join  or  to  unite  the  lower  self 
with  the  Higher  Self,  the  object  with  the  subject,  the 
worshipper  with  God.  In  order  to  gain  this  union,  however, 
one  must  first  disunite  oneself  from  all  that  scatters  the 
physical,  mental  and  intellectual  forces;  so  the  outgoing 
perceptions  must  be  detached  from  the  external  world  and 
indrawn.  When  this  is  accomplished  through  constant 
practice  of  concentration  and  meditation,  the  union  takes 
place  of  its  own  accord.  But  it  may  be  lost  again,  unless 
one  is  watchful. 


Katha-  Upanishad  9 1 

XII 

HE  cannot  be  attained  by  speech,  by 
mind,  or  by  the  eye.     How  can  That 
be  realized  except  by  him  who  says  "He  is"? 

XIII 

HE  should  be  realized  as  "He  is"  and 
also  as  the  reality  of  both  (visible  and 
invisible).     He  who  knows  Him  as  "He  is," 
to  him  alone  His  real  nature  is  revealed. 

T"*HIS  supersensuous  vision  cannot  be  gained  through 
man's  ordinary  faculties.  By  mind,  eye,  or  speech 
the  manifested  attributes  of  the  Divine  can  be  apprehended; 
but  only  one  who  has  acquired  the  supersensuous  sight 
can  directly  perceive  God's  existence  and  declare  definitely 
that  "He  is,"  that  He  alone  exists  in  both  the  visible  and 
the  invisible  world. 

XIV 

WHEN  all  desires  dwelling  in  the  heart 
cease,     then     the     mortal    becomes 
immortal  and  attains  Brahman  here. 

XV 

WHEN  all  the  ties  of  the  heart  are  cut 
asunder  here,    then   the   mortal   be- 
comes immortal.     Such  is  the  teaching. 


92  The  Upanishads 

XVI 

r  I  ^HERE  are  a  hundred  and  one  nerves  of 
JL  the  heart.  One  of  them  penetrates  the 
centre  of  the  head.  Going  upward  through 
it,  one  attains  immortality.  The  other 
(hundred  nerve -courses)  lead,  in  departing, 
to  different  worlds. 

'  I  ''HE  nervous  system  of  the  body  provides  the  channels 
through  which  the  mind  travels;  the  direction  in 
which  it  moves  is  determined  by  its  desires  and  tendencies. 
When  the  mind  becomes  pure  and  desireless,  it  takes  the 
upward  course  and  at  the  time  of  departing  passes  out 
through  the  imperceptible  opening  at  the  crown  of  the 
head;  but  as  long  as  it  remains  full  of  desires,  its  course  is 
downward  towards  the  realms  where  those  desires  can  be 
satisfied. 

XVII 

THE  Puruska,  the  inner  Self,  of  the  size 
of  a  thumb,  is  ever  seated  in  the  heart 
of  all  living  beings.  With  perseverance  man 
should  draw  Him  out  from  his  body  as  one 
draws  the  inner  stalk  from  a  blade  of  grass. 
One  should  know  Him  as  pure  and  deathless, 
as  pure  and  deathless. 

A  S  has  been  explained  in  Part  Fourth,  verse  XII,  the 

inner  Self,  although  unlimited,  is  described  as  "the 

size  of  a  thumb"  because  of  its  abiding-place  in  the  heart, 


Katha-U  panishad  93 

often  likened  to  a  lotus-bud  which  is  similar  to  a  thumb  in 
size  and  shape.  Through  the  process  of  steadfast  dis- 
crimination, one  should  learn  to  differentiate  the  Soul  from 
the  body,  just  as  one  separates  the  pith  from  a  reed. 

XVIII 

THUS  Nachiketas,  having  acquired  this 
wisdom  taught  by  the  Ruler  of  Death, 
together  with  all  the  rules  of  Yoga,  became 
free  from  impurity  and  death  and  attained 
Brahman  (the  Supreme).  So  also  will  it  be 
with  another  who  likewise  knows  the  nature 
of  the  Self. 

PEACE   CHANT 

MAY  He  (the  Supreme  Being)  protect  us 
both.     May  He  be  pleased  with  us. 
May  we  acquire  strength.     May  our  study 
bring   us   illumination.     May    there   be    no 
enmity  among  us. 

OM!    PEACE!    PEACE!    PEACE! 

• 
Here  ends  this  Upanishad 


KENA-UPANISHAD 


Like  the  Isavasya,  this  Upanishad  derives  its  name  from 
the  opening  word  of  the  text,  Kena-ishitam,  "by  whom 
directed."  It  is  also  known  as  the  Talavakdra-Upanishad 
because  of  its  place  as  a  chapter  in  the  Talavakdra-Brdhmana 
of  the  Sdma-Veda. 

Among  the  Upanishads  it  is  one  of  the  most  analytical 
and  metaphysical,  its  purpose  being  to  lead  the  mind  from 
the  gross  to  the  subtle,  from  ejfect  to  cause.  By  a  series  of 
profound  questions  and  answers,  it  seeks  to  locate  the  source 
of  man's  being;  and  to  expand  his  self-consciousness  until 
it  has  become  identical  with  God-Consciousness. 


KENA-UPANISHAD 


IV/f  AY  my  limbs,  speech,  Prdna  (life- 
-*-*-•-  force),  sight,  hearing,  strength  and 
all  my  senses,  gain  in  vigor.  All  is  the  Brah- 
man (Supreme  Lord)  of  the  Upanishads. 
May  I  never  deny  the  Brahman.  May  the 
Brahman  never  deny  me.  May  there  be  no 
denial  of  the  Brahman.  May  there  be  no 
separation  from  the  Brahman.  May  all  the 
virtues  declared  in  the  sacred  Upanishads  be 
manifest  in  me,  who  am  devoted  to  the 
Atman  (Higher  Self).  May  they  be  manifest 


in  me. 


OM!  PEACE!  PEACE!  PEACE! 


part 


BY  whom  commanded  and  directed  does 
the  mind  go  towards  its  objects?  Com- 
manded by  whom  does  the  life -force,  the 
first  (cause),  move?  At  whose  will  do  men 
utter  speech?  What  power  directs  the  eye 
and  the  ear? 

'  I  *  HUS  the  disciple  approached  the  Master  and  inquired 
concerning  the  cause  of  life  and  human  activity.  Hav- 
ing a  sincere  longing  for  Truth  he  desired  to  know  who 
really  sees  and  hears,  who  actuates  the  apparent  physical 
man.  He  perceived  all  about  him  the  phenomenal  world, 
the  existence  of  which  he  could  prove  by  his  senses;  but 
he  sought  to  know  the  invisible  causal  world,  of  which  he 
was  now  only  vaguely  conscious.  Is  mind  all-pervading 
and  all-powerful,  or  is  it  impelled  by  some  other  force, 
he  asked.  Who  sends  forth  the  vital  energy,  without 
which  nothing  can  exist?  The  teacher  replies: 

II 

IT  is  the  ear  of  the  ear,  the  mind  of  the 
mind,  the  speech  of  the  speech,  the  life  of 
the  life,  the  eye  of  the  eye.     The  wise,  freed 
(from  the  senses  and  from  mortal  desires), 
after  leaving  this  world,  become  immortal. 


Kena-  Upanishad  99 

A  N  ordinary  man  hears,  sees,  thinks,  but  he  is  satisfied 
to  know  only  as  much  as  can  be  known  through  the 
senses;  he  does  not  analyze  and  try  to  find  that  which 
stands  behind  the  ear  or  eye  or  mind.  He  is  completely 
identified  with  his  external  nature.  His  conception  does 
not  go  beyond  the  little  circle  of  his  bodily  life,  which  con- 
cerns the  outer  man  only.  He  has  no  consciousness  of 
that  which  enables  his  senses  and  organs  to  perform  their 
tasks. 

There  is  a  vast  difference  between  the  manifested  form 
and  That  which  is  manifested  through  the  form.  When 
we  know  That,  we  shall  not  die  with  the  body.  One  who 
clings  to  the  senses  and  to  things  that  are  ephemeral,  must 
die  many  deaths;  but  that  man  who  knows  the  eye  of  the 
eye,  the  ear  of  the  ear,  having  severed  himself  from  his 
physical  nature,  becomes  immortal.  Immortality  is 
attained  when  man  transcends  his  apparent  nature  and 
finds  that  subtle,  eternal  and  inexhaustible  essence  which 
is  within  him. 

Ill 

THERE  the  eye  does  not  go,  nor  speech, 
nor  mind.  We  do  not  know  That; 
we  do  not  understand  how  It  can  be  taught. 
It  is  distinct  from  the  known  and  also  It  is 
beyond  the  unknown.  Thus  we  have  heard 
from  the  ancient  (teachers)  who  told  us 
about  It. 

A I AHESE   physical   eyes   are   unable    to   perceive    that 

subtle  essence.     Nor  can  it  be  expressed  by  finite 

language  or  known  by  finite  intelligence,  because  it  is 


ioo  The  Upanishads 

infinite.  Our  conception  of  knowing  finite  things  is  to 
know  their  name  and  form;  but  knowledge  of  God  must 
be  distinct  from  such  knowledge.  This  is  why  some 
declare  God  to  be  unknown  and  unknowable;  because  He 
is  far  more  than  eye  or  mind  or  speech  can  perceive,  com- 
prehend or  express.  The  Upanishad  does  not  say  that  He 
cannot  be  known.  He  is  unknowable  to  man's  finite 
nature.  How  can  a  finite  mortal  apprehend  the  Infinite 
Whole?  But  He  can  be  known  by  man's  God-like  nature. 

IV 

THAT  which  speech  does  not  illumine, 
but  which  illumines  speech :  know  that 
alone  to  be  the  Brahman  (the  Supreme  Being), 
not  this  which  people  worship  here. 


THAT  which  cannot  be  thought  by  mind, 
but  by  which,  they  say,  mind  is  able 
to  think:    know  that  alone  to  be  the  Brah- 
man, not  this  which  people  worship  here. 

VI 

THAT  which  is  not  seen  by  the  eye,  but 
by  which  the  eye  is  able  to  see :   know 
that  alone  to  be  the  Brahman,  not  this  which 
people  worship  here. 


Kena-U  panishad  101 

VII 

THAT  which  cannot  be  heard  by  the  ear, 
but  by  which  the  ear  is  able  to  hear: 
know  that  alone  to  be  Brahman,  not  this 
which  people  worship  here. 

VIII 

'"T^HAT   which   none   breathes   with   the 
A     breath,  but  by   which   breath   is   in- 
breathed:  know  that  alone  to  be  the  Brah- 
man, not  this  which  people  worship  here. 

/^RDINARILY  we  know  three  states  of  consciousness 
^"^  only,  —  waking,  dreaming  and  sleeping.  There  is, 
however,  a  fourth  state,  the  superconscious,  which  tran- 
scends these.  In  the  first  three  states  the  mind  is  not 
clear  enough  to  save  us  from  error;  but  in  the  fourth  state 
it  gains  such  purity  of  vision  that  it  can  perceive  the 
Divine.  If  God  could  be  known  by  the  limited  mind  and 
senses,  then  God-knowledge  would  be  like  any  other 
knowledge  and  spiritual  science  like  any  physical  science. 
He  can  be  known,  however,  by  the  purified  mind  only. 
Therefore  to  know  God,  man  must  purify  himself.  The 
mind  described  in  the  Upanishads  is  the  superconscious 
mind.  According  to  the  Vedic  Sages  the  mind  in  its 
ordinary  state  is  only  another  sense  organ.  This  mind  is 
limited,  but  when  it  becomes  illumined  by  the  light  of  the 
Cosmic  Intelligence,  or  the  "mind  of  the  mind,"  then  it  is 
able  to  apprehend  the  First  Cause  or  That  which  stands 
behind  all  external  activities. 


Part  &econD 

i 

thou  thinkest  "I  know  It  well,"  then 
it  is  certain  that  thou  knowest  but  little 
of  the  Brahman  (Absolute  Truth),  or  in  what 
form  He  (resideth)  in  the  Devas  (minor 
aspects  of  Deity).  Therefore  I  think  that 
what  thou  thinkest  to  be  known  is  still  to  be 
sought  after. 

TJTAVING  given  the  definition  of  the  real  Self  or  Brah- 
man,  by  which  mortals  are  able  to  see,  hear,  feel  and 
think,  the  teacher  was  afraid  that  the  disciple,  after  merely 
hearing  about  It,  might  conclude  that  he  knew  It.  So  he 
said  to  him:  "You  have  heard  about  It,  but  that  is  not 
enough.  You  must  experience  It.  Mere  intellectual 
recognition  will  not  give  you  true  knowledge  of  It.  Neither 
can  It  be  taught  to  you.  The  teacher  can  only  show  the 
way.  You  must  find  It  for  yourself." 

Knowledge  means  union  between  subject  and  object. 
To  gain  this  union  one  must  practise;  theory  cannot  help 
us.  The  previous  chapter  has  shown  that  the  knowledge 
of  Brahman  is  beyond  sense-perception:  "There  the  eye 
does  not  go,  nor  speech,  nor  mind."  "That  is  distinct 
from  known  and  also  It  is  beyond  the  unknown."  There- 
fore it  was  necessary  for  the  teacher  to  remind  the  disciple 
that  knowledge  based  on  sense-perception  or  intellectual 


Kena-Upanishad  103 

apprehension  should  not  be  confounded  with  supersensuous 
knowledge.  Although  the  disciple  had  listened  to  the 
teacher  with  unquestioning  mind  and  was  intellectually 
convinced  of  the  truth  of  his  words,  it  was  now  necessary 
for  him  to  prove  by  his  own  experience  what  he  had  heard. 
Guided  by  the  teacher,  he  sought  within  himself  through 
meditation  the  meaning  of  Brahman;  and  having  gained 
a  new  vision,  he  approached  the  teacher  once  more. 


II 

THE  disciple  said:  I  do  not  think  I  know 
It  well,  nor  do  I  think  that  I  do  not 
know  It.     He  among  us  who  knows  It  truly, 
knows  (what  is  meant  by)   "I  know"  and 
also  what  is  meant  by  "I  know  It  not." 

T^HIS  appears  to  be  contradictory,  but  it  is  not.  In  the 
previous  chapter  we  learned  that  Brahman  is  "dis- 
tinct from  the  known"  and  "beyond  the  unknown."  The 
disciple,  realizing  this,  says:  "So  far  as  mortal  conception 
is  concerned,  I  do  not  think  I  know,  because  I  understand 
that  It  is  beyond  mind  and  speech;  yet  from  the  higher 
point  of  view,  I  cannot  say  that  I  do  not  know;  for  the 
very  fact  that  I  exist,  that  I  can  seek  It,  shows  that  I  know; 
for  It  is  the  source  of  my  being.  I  do  not  know,  however, 
in  the  sense  of  knowing  the  whole  Infinite  Ocean  of  exist- 
ence." The  word  knowledge  is  used  ordinarily  to  signify 
acquaintance  with  phenomena  only,  but  man  must  transcend 
this  relative  knowledge  before  he  can  have  a  clear  con- 
ception of  God.  One  who  wishes  to  attain  Soul-conscious- 
ness must  rise  above  matter. 


iO4  The  Upanishads 

The  observation  of  material  science  being  confined  to 
the  sense  plane,  it  ignores  what  is  beyond.  Therefore  it 
must  always  be  limited  and  subject  to  change.  It  dis- 
covered atoms,  then  it  went  further  and  discovered  elec- 
trons, and  when  it  had  found  the  one,  it  had  to  drop  the 
other;  so  this  kind  of  knowledge  can  never  lead  to  the 
ultimate  knowledge  of  the  Infinite,  because  it  is  exclusive 
and  not  inclusive.  Spiritual  science  is  not  merely  a 
question  of  mind  and  brain,  it  depends  on  the  awakening 
of  our  latent  higher  consciousness. 


Ill 

HE  who  thinks  he  knows  It  not,  knows  It. 
He  who  thinks  he  knows  It,  knows  It 
not.     The  true  knowers  think  they  can  never 
know  It  (because  of  Its  infinitude),  while  the 
ignorant  think  they  know  It. 

O  Y  this  text  the  teacher  confirms  the  idea  that  Brahman 
is  unthinkable,  because  unconditioned.  Therefore 
he  says:  He  who  considers  It  beyond  thought,  beyond 
sense-perception,  beyond  mind  and  speech,  he  alone  has  a 
true  understanding  of  Brahman.  They  who  judge  a  living 
being  from  his  external  form  and  sense  faculties,  know  him 
not;  because  the  real  Self  of  man  is  not  manifested  in  his 
seeing,  hearing,  speaking.  His  real  Self  is  that  within 
by  which  he  hears  and  speaks  and  sees.  In  the  same  way, 
he  knows  not  Brahman  who  thinks  he  knows  It  by  name 
and  form.  The  arrogant  and  foolish  man  thinks  he  knows 
everything;  but  the  true  knower  is  humble.  He  says: 
"How  can  I  know  Thee,  who  art  Infinite  and  beyond  mind 


Kena-U  panishad  105 

and  speech?  "  In  the  last  portion  of  the  text,  the  teacher 
draws  an  impressive  contrast  between  the  attitude  of  the 
wise  man  who  knows,  but  thinks  he  does  not  know;  and 
that  of  the  ignorant  who  does  not  know,  but  thinks  he 
knows. 

IV 

IT  (Brahman)  is  known,  when  It  is  known 
in  every  state  of  consciousness.  (Through 
such  knowledge)  one  attains  immortality. 
By  attaining  this  Self,  man  gains  strength; 
and  by  Self-knowledge  immortality  is  at- 
tained. 


"V\7"E  have  learned  from  the  previous  text  that  the 
Brahman  is  unknown  to  those  whose  knowledge  is 
limited  to  sense  experience;  but  He  is  not  unknown  to 
those  whose  purified  intelligence  perceives  Him  as  the 
basis  of  all  states  of  consciousness  and  the  essence  of  all 
things.  By  this  higher  knowledge  a  man  attains  im- 
mortality, because  he  knows  that  although  his  body  may 
decay  and  die,  the  subtle  essence  of  his  being  remains 
untouched.  Such  an  one  also  acquires  unlimited  strength, 
because  he  identifies  himself  with  the  ultimate  Source. 
The  strength  which  comes  from  one's  own  muscle  and 
brain  or  from  one's  individual  power  must  be  limited  and 
mortal  and  therefore  cannot  lift  one  beyond  death;  but 
through  the  strength  which  Atma-gndna  or  Self-knowledge 
gives,  immortality  is  reached.  Whenever  knowledge  is 
based  on  direct  perception  of  this  undying  essence,  one 
transcends  all  fear  of  death  and  becomes  immortal. 


io6  The  Upanishads 


I 


V 

F  one  knows  It  here,  that  is  Truth;  if 
one  knows  It  not  here,  then  great  is  his 
loss.  The  wise  seeing  the  same  Self  in  all 
beings,  being  liberated  from  this  world, 
become  immortal. 


part  CtJftD 

i 

f  I  ^HE  Brahman  once  won  a  victory  for  the 
-•-  Devas.  Through  that  victory  of  the 
Brahman,  the  Devas  became  elated.  They 
thought,  "This  victory  is  ours.  This  glory 
is  ours." 

13  RAHMAN  here  does  not  mean  a  personal  Deity.  There 
is  a  Brahma,  the  first  person  of  the  Hindu  Trinity; 
but  Brahman  is  the  Absolute,  the  One  without  a  second, 
the  essence  of  all.  There  are  different  names  and  forms 
which  represent  certain  personal  aspects  of  Divinity,  such 
as  Brahma  the  Creator,  Vishnu  the  Preserver  and  Siva  the 
Transformer;  but  no  one  of  these  can  fully  represent  the 
Whole.  Brahman  is  the  vast  ocean  of  being,  on  which 
rise  numberless  ripples  and  waves  of  manifestation.  From 
the  smallest  atomic  form  to  a  Deva  or  an  angel,  all  spring 
from  that  limitless  ocean  of  Brahman,  the  inexhaustible 
Source  of  life.  No  manifested  form  of  life  can  be  inde- 
pendent of  its  source,  just  as  no  wave,  however  mighty, 
can  be  independent  of  the  ocean.  Nothing  moves  without 
that  Power.  He  is  the  only  Doer.  But  the  Devas 
thought:  "This  victory  is  ours,  this  glory  is  ours." 

II 

THE   Brahman  perceived  this  and  ap- 
peared  before   them.     They   did   not 
know  what  mysterious  form  it  was. 


io8  The  Upanishads 


III 

npHEY  said  to  Fire:    "O  Jataveda  (All- 
-I-     knowing) !    Find  out  what  mysterious 
spirit  this  is."     He  said :  "  Yes." 


IV 

HE  ran  towards  it  and  He  (Brahman) 
said  to  him:    "Who  art  thou?"     "I 
am  Agni,  I  am  Jataveda,"  he  (the  Fire-god) 
replied. 


BRAHMAN  asked:   "  What  power  resides 
in  thee?"     Agni  replied:    "I  can  burn 
up  all  whatsoever  exists  on  earth." 

VI 

BRAHMAN  placed  a  straw  before  him 
and  said:  "Burn  this."  He  (Agni) 
rushed  towards  it  with  all  speed,  but  was  not 
able  to  burn  it.  So  he  returned  from  there 
and  said  (to  the  Devas):  "I  was  not  able  to 
find  out  what  this  great  mystery  is." 


Kena-  Upanishad  1 09 

VII 

THEN  they  said  to  Vayu  (the  Air-god) : 
"Vayu!     Find  out  what  this  mystery 
is."     He  said:  "Yes." 

VIII 

HE  ran  towards  it  and  He  (Brahman) 
said  to  him:    "Who  art  thou?"     "I 
am    Vayu,   I   am    Matarisva    (traveller    of 
Heaven),"  he  (Vayu)  said. 

IX 

THEN  the  Brahman  said:  "What  power 
is  in  thee?"     Vayu  replied:    "I  can 
blow  away  all  whatsoever  exists  on  earth." 


BRAHMAN  placed  a  straw  before  him 
and  said:  "Blow  this  away."  He 
(Vayu)  rushed  towards  it  with  all  speed,  but 
was  not  able  to  blow  it  away.  So  he  returned 
from  there  and  said  (to  the  Devas):  "I  was 
not  able  to  find  out  what  this  great  mystery 
is." 


no  The  Upanishads 

XI 

THEN  they  said  to  Indra:    "O   Mag- 
havan    (Worshipful    One) !     Find   out 
what    this   mystery   is."     He  said:    "Yes"; 
and  ran  towards  it,  but  it  disappeared  before 
him. 

XII 

THEN  he  saw  in  that  very  space  a  woman 
beautifully    adorned,    Uma  of  golden 
hue,    daughter    of    Haimavat    (Himalaya). 
He  asked:   "What  is  this  great  mystery?" 

T_IERE  we  see  how  the  Absolute  assumes  concrete  form 
to  give  knowledge  of  Himself  to  the  earnest  seeker. 
Brahman,  the  impenetrable  mystery,  disappeared  and  in 
His  place  appeared  a  personal  form  to  represent  Him. 
This  is  a  subtle  way  of  showing  the  difference  between  the 
Absolute  and  the  personal  aspects  of  Deity.  The  Absolute 
is  declared  to  be  unknowable  and  unthinkable,  but  He 
assumes  deified  personal  aspects  to  make  Himself  known  to 
His  devotees.  Thus  Uma,  daughter  of  the  Himalaya,  rep- 
resents that  personal  aspect  as  the  offspring  of  the  Infinite 
Being;  while  the  Himalaya  stands  as  the  symbol  of  the 
Eternal,  Unchangeable  One. 


part  jFourtft 


CHE  (Uma)  said:  "It  is  Brahman.  It  is 
^  through  the  victory  of  Brahman  that  ye 
are  victorious."  Then  from  her  words,  he 
(Indra)  knew  that  it  (that  mysterious  form) 
was  Brahman. 

TMA  replied  to  Indra,  "  It  is  to  Brahman  that  you  owe 
your  victory.  It  is  through  His  power  that  you  live 
and  act.  He  is  the  agent  and  you  are  all  only  instruments 
in  His  hands.  Therefore  your  idea  that  'This  victory  is 
ours,  this  glory  is  ours,'  is  based  on  ignorance."  At  once 
Indra  saw  their  mistake.  The  Devas,  being  purled  up 
with  vanity,  had  thought  they  themselves  had  achieved 
the  victory,  whereas  it  was  Brahman;  for  not  even  a  blade 
of  grass  can  move  without  His  command. 


II 

THEREFORE      these     Devas,  —  Agni, 
Vayu  and  Indra  —  excel  other  Devas, 
because  they  came  nearer  to  Brahman.     It 
was  they  who  first  knew  this  spirit  as  Brah- 
man. 


ii2  The   Upanishads 

III 

THEREFORE    Indra    excels    all    other 
Devas,   because  he   came  nearest   to 
Brahman,  and  because  he  first  (before  all 
others)  knew  this  spirit  as  Brahman. 

A  GNI,  Vayu  and  Indra  were  superior  to  the  other 
Devas  because  they  gained  a  closer  vision;  and  they 
were  able  to  do  this  because  they  were  purer;  while  Indra 
stands  as  the  head  of  the  Devas,  because  he  realized  the 
Truth  directly,  he  reached  Brahman.  The  significance  of 
this  is  that  whoever  comes  in  direct  touch  with  Brahman 
or  the  Supreme  is  glorified. 

IV 

THUS  the  teaching  of  Brahman  is  here 
illustrated   in   regard    to    the   Devas. 
He  flashed  like  lightning,  and  appeared  and 
disappeared  just  as  the  eye  winks. 

'  I  AHE  teaching  as  regards  the  Devas  was  that  Brahman 
is  the  only  Doer.  He  had  appeared  before  them  in 
a  mysterious  form;  but  the  whole  of  the  unfathomable 
Brahman  could  not  be  seen  in  any  definite  form;  so  at 
the  moment  of  vanishing,  He  manifested  more  of  His 
immeasurable  glory  and  fleetness  of  action  by  a  sudden 
dazzling  flash  of  light. 


Kena-Upanishad  113 

V 

NEXT  (the  teaching)  is  regarding  Adhydt- 
man  (the  embodied  Soul).     The  mind 
seems   to    approach    Him    (Brahman).     By 
this    mind    (the    seeker)    again    and    again 
remembers  and  thinks  about  Brahman. 


/"\NLY  by  the  mind  can  the  seeker  after  knowledge 
approach  Brahman,  whose  nature  in  glory  and  speed 
has  been  described  as  like  unto  a  flash  of  lightning.  Mind 
alone  can  picture  the  indescribable  Brahman;  and  mind 
alone,  being  swift  in  its  nature,  can  follow  Him.  It  is 
through  the  help  of  this  mind  that  we  can  think  and 
meditate  on  Brahman;  and  when  by  constant  thought 
of  Him  the  mind  becomes  purified,  then  like  a  polished 
mirror  it  can  reflect  His  Divine  Glory. 

VI 

THAT    Brahman    is    called    Tadvanam 
(object   of  adoration).     He  is   to   be 
worshipped    by    the    name    Tadvanam.     He 
who  knows  Brahman  thus,  is  loved  by  all 
beings. 

D  RAHMAN  is  the  object  of  adoration  and  the  goal  of 
all  beings.  For  this  reason  he  should  be  worshipped 
and  meditated  upon  as  Tadvanam.  Whoever  knows  Him 
in  this  aspect  becomes  one  with  Him,  and  serves  as  a  clear 
channel  through  which  the  blessings  of  Brahman  flow  out 
to  others.  The  knower  of  God  partakes  of  all  His  lovable 
qualities  and  is  therefore  loved  by  all  true  devotees. 


ii4  The  Upanishads 

VII 

r  I  ^HE  disciple  asked:  O  Master,  teach  me 
A  the  Upanishad.  (The  teacher  replied :) 
The  Upanishad  has  been  taught  thee.  We 
have  certainly  taught  thee  the  Upanishad 
about  Brahman. 

VIII 

THE  Upanishad  is  based  on  tapas  (prac- 
tice of  the  control  of  body,  mind  and 
senses),  dama  (subjugation  of  the  senses), 
karma  (right  performance  of  prescribed 
actions).  The  Vedas  are  its  limbs.  Truth 
is  its  support. 

IX 

HE  who  knows  this  (wisdom  of  the  Upan- 
ishad), having  been  cleansed  of  all  sin, 
becomes  established   in  the  blissful,  eternal 
and  highest  abode  of  Brahman,  in  the  highest 
abode  of  Brahman. 

Here  ends  this  Upanishad. 


Kena  -  Upanishad  115 

'~T"*HIS  Upanishad  is  called  Kena,  because  it  begins 
•*•  with  the  inquiry:  "By  whom"  (Kena)  willed  or 
directed  does  the  mind  go  towards  its  object?  From 
whom  comes  life?  What  enables  man  to  speak,  to  hear 
and  see?  And  the  teacher  in  reply  gives  him  the  defi- 
nition of  Brahman,  the  Source  and  Basis  of  existence. 
The  spirit  of  the  Upanishads  is  always  to  show  that  no 
matter  where  we  look  or  what  we  see  or  feel  in  the 
visible  world,  it  all  proceeds  from  one  Source. 

The  prevailing  note  of  all  Vedic  teaching  is  this:  One 
tremendous  Whole  becoming  the  world,  and  again  the 
world  merging  in  that  Whole.  It  also  strives  in  various 
ways  to  define  that  Source,  knowing  which  all  else  is 
known  and  without  which  no  knowledge  can  be  well  es- 
tablished. So  here  the  teacher  replies:  That  which  is 
the  eye  of  the  eye,  the  ear  of  the  ear,  that  is  the  inex- 
haustible river  of  being  which  flows  on  eternally;  while 
bubbles  of  creation  rise  on  the  surface,  live  for  a  time, 
then  burst. 

The  teacher,  however,  warns  the  disciple  that  this  eye, 
ear,  mind,  can  never  perceive  It;  for  It  is  that  which 
illumines  speech  and  mind,  which  enables  eye  and  ear 
and  all  sense-faculties  to  perform  their  tasks.  "It  is 
distinct  from  the  known  and  also  It  is  beyond  the  un- 
known." He  who  thinks  he  knows  It,  knows  It  not; 
because  It  is  never  known  by  those  who  believe  that  It 
can  be  grasped  by  the  intellect  or  by  the  senses;  but  It 
can  be  known  by  him  who  knows  It  as  the  basis  of  all 
consciousness. 

The  knower  of  Truth  says,  "I  know  It  not,"  because 
he  realizes  the  unbounded,  infinite  nature  of  the  Supreme. 
"Thou  art  this  (the  visible),  Thou  art  That  (the  invisible), 
and  Thou  art  all  that  is  beyond,"  he  declares.  The  ordi- 
nary idea  of  knowledge  is  that  which  is  based  on  sense- 


1 1 6  The    Upanishads 

preceptions;  but  the  knowledge  of  an  illumined  Sage  is 
not  confined  to  his  senses.  He  has  all  the  knowledge 
that  comes  from  the  senses  and  all  that  comes  from  Spirit. 
The  special  purpose  of  this  Upanishad  is  to  give  us  the 
knowledge  of  the  Real,  that  we  may  not  come  under  the 
dominion  of  the  ego  by  identifying  ourselves  with  our 
body,  mind  and  senses.  Mortals  become  mortals  because 
they  fall  under  the  sway  of  ego  and  depend  on  their  own 
limited  physical  and  mental  strength.  The  lesson  of  the 
parable  of  the  Devas  and  Brahman  is  that  there  is  no 
real  power,  no  real  doer  except  God.  He  is  the  eye  of  the 
eye,  the  ear  of  the  ear;  and  eyes,  ears,  and  all  our  facul- 
ties have  no  power  independent  of  Him.  When  we  thus 
realize  Him  as  the  underlying  Reality  of  our  being,  we 
transcend  death  and  become  immortal. 


OM!  PEACE!  PEACE!  PEACE! 


MUNDAKA— UPANISHAD 


FOREWORD 


A 


S  the  present  edition  of  the  Upanishads 
goes  out  to  meet  the  need  of  aspiring  students 
and  thinkers  in  the  field  of  philosophy,  we  offer 
a  word  of  explanation.  The  first  and  second 
editions  of  this  book  contained  the  translation 
of  three  Upanishads  namely,  Isa,  Katha  and 
Kena  to  which  we  now  add  a  fourth  called 
Mundaka. 

The  translator,  Swami  Paramananda,  en- 
dowed with  a  rare  gift  of  penetration,  inter- 
preted the  Sanskrit  text  in  clear,  simple  lan- 
guage. Admirers  of  his  first  volume  requested 
him  to  translate  other  Upanishads  in  his  char- 
acteristic manner,  true  to  the  original  in  spirit  as 
well  as  in  poetic  form.  The  Swtmi  was  able  to 
fulfill  this  wish  in  part.  In  1920,  he  translated 
the  Mundaka-Upanishad  which  was  published 
in  the  Veda"nta  Monthly,  "Message  of  the 
East."  Multiple  activities  prevented  the  contin- 
uance of  the  task. 

The  Swami  wrote  a  short  introduction  for 
the  Isa,  Katha  and  Kena  Upanishads  but  Mun- 
daka was  published  without  his  usual  foreword. 
Knowing  full  well  that  an  explanatory  corn- 


mentary  is  necessary  to  answer  some  of  the 
questions  which  invariably  rise  in  the  reader's 
mind,  I  have  taken  the  liberty  of  writing  one. 

Over  a  decade  ago,  I  had  the  great  privilege 
of  studying  the  Upanishads  in  the  original 
Sanskrit  under  Swami  Paramananda.  He,  like 
the  true  illumined  teacher,  imparted  to  me  the 
essence  of  these  lofty  teachings  in  a  manner 
known  to  the  initiates  of  the  land  where  the 
Forest-books  were  born.  The  experience  was 
more  than  that  of  learning  the  text  or  its  mean- 
ing. It  was  partaking  of  the  light  that  streams 
from  the  mind  of  the  master  to  that  of  an 
aspiring  disciple. 

This  was  the  beginning  of  a  new  era  in  my 
own  life  for  soon  afterwards,  I  received  my 
ordination  and  commission  to  expound  Ved^nta 
from  the  Swami's  platform.  The  early  classes 
on  the  theme  of  the  Upanishads  were  conducted 

A  A 

under  the  open  sky  at  Ananda  Ashrama,  Cali- 
fornia. My  first  sermon-lecture  was  on  "Ex- 
altation of  the  Upanishads." 

Through  long  and  close  association  with  one 
who  was  truly  wise ;  whose  learning  was  only 
a  cloak  for  his  inner  realization ;  who  made  the 
letter  of  the  Scriptures  living  by  his  example,  I 
now  dare  hope  that  someday  I  may  be  used  to 
complete  the  work  he  had  begun.  As  his  stu- 


dent  and  follower,  I  humbly  pray  that  through. 
His  grace  \Yho  makes  "The  dumb  to  speak  and 
the  lame  to  cross  the  mountain,"  I  may  prove 
worthy  of  this  task. 

GAYATRI  DEVI 


February,  1941 
Boston,  Massachusetts 


The  Mundaka-U  panishad  forms  a  part  of  the 
Atharva-Veda.  It  has  been  called  a  Mantra-Upani- 
shad  as  it  is  composed  of  verses  in  the  form  of  Man- 
tras or  prayer-chants.  Commentators  observe  that 
these  Mantras  are  not  for  the  purpose  of  ceremonial 
worship  as  are  those  of  the  Karma-Kanda  or  sacri- 
ficial portion  of  the  Vedas. 

This  Upanishad  lays  particular  emphasis  upon  the 
means  of  attaining  Brahma-Vidya  or  knowledge  of 
the  Absolute.  The  question  is  asked:  "What  is  that, 
Sire,  by  knowing  vvhich  everything  else  becomes 
knozvnf"  The  sage  answered  that  to  acquire  the  High- 
est Wisdom,  one  must  transcend  the  vanity  of  lower 
knowledge.  Supreme  Wisdom  cannot  be  attained  by 
superficial  study  of  the  Scriptures,  nor  by  observing 
religious  rites,  nor  by  good  works.  It  can  only  be 
realized  by  the  man  of  meditation— one  ivho  has  been 
purified  through  the  practice  of  discrimination  and 
renunciation. 

It  is  difficult  to  trace  the  meaning  of  the  title  "Mun- 
daka."  The  literal  translation  of  the  word  is  ''shaven- 
head."  This  may  imply  that  the  author  of  the  book 
zvas  a  Rishi  or  seer  with  shaven-head  or  it  may  indi- 
cate that  the  Upanishad  itself  is  shorn  of  all  non- 
essentials  like  the  mind  illumined  by  Brahma-Vidyti. 


MUNDAKA—  UPANISHAD 
PEACE  CHANT 

OM  !  May  we  hear  with  our  ears  that 
which  is  beneficent,  O  Devas!  May  we 
behold  with  our  eyes  that  which  is  beneficent! 
With  a  strong,  well-poised  body  and  worshipful 
heart  may  we  enjoy  life  and  perform  deeds 
which  are  pleasing  to  the  Deity. 

OM!  PEACE!  PEACE!  PEACE! 


i 

OM  !  Brahmzl  was  the  first  of  the  Devas,  the 
Creator  of  the  universe,  the  Protector  of 
the  world.    He  taught  His  oldest  son  Atharva 
the   knowledge   of    Brahman    (the    Supreme) 
which  is  the  foundation  of  all  knowledge. 

THE  word  Om  frequently  found  at  the  outset  of 
Vedic  study  is  used  in  the  sense  of  "Hail  unto 
Thee"  or  "Adoration  unto  the  Supreme."    Brahma  is 
the  personal  aspect  of   Deity  as   distinguished   from 
Brahman,  the   Absolute.    He  represents  the  creative 


124  The  Upanishads 

power  of  the  universe.  He  is  regarded  as  the  fore- 
most of  all  the  various  aspects  of  Divinity  known  as 
Devas.  The  Devas  (gods)  in  Vedic  Scriptures  are 
Bright  Beings,  each  manifesting  some  special  Divine 
quality  and  holding  some  special  office  in  creation. 
They  correspond  to  the  angels  and  archangels  of 
Semitic  Scriptures. 

II 

THIS  knowledge  of  Brahman  which  Brah- 
ma  taught   to   Atharva,    Atharva   taught 
first  to  Angir ;  Angir  taught  it  to  Satyavaha 
Bharadwaja ;  and  Bharadwaja  taught  it  in  due 
succession  to  the  sage  Angiras. 

Ill 

SHAUNAKA,  the  great  householder,  having 
approached  the  sage  Angiras  with  fitting 
humility  asked  of  him :  What  is  that,  O  Bhaga- 
van  (revered  Master),  which -being  known,  all 
else  becomes  known? 

IT  was  customary  in  ancient  India  for  a  pupil,  when 
he  sought  instruction  of  a  holy  sage,  to  approach 
him  hearing  in  his  arms  a  bundle  of  wood  for  the 
altar  fire.  This  armful  of  sacrificial  wood,  called  in 
Sanskrit  Samit-f>ani,  became  the  symbol  of  disciple- 
ship,  representing  a  desire  to  serve  even  in  the  hum- 
blest capacity.  Those  ancient  teachers  did  not  give  out 
their  knowledge  for  a  certain  fee  as  it  is  done  in  the 


Mundaka-Upanishad  125 

modern  educational  institution.  They  were  wholly  in- 
dependent. They  did  not  seek  pupils.  On  the  contrary, 
they  were  very  careful  whom  they  taught.  The  pupil 
was  obliged  to  prove  his  worthiness  by  humility,  earn- 
estness and  patient  service. 

IV 

THE  Sage  said  to  him :  There  are  two  kinds 
of  knowledge  to  be  known,  so  are  we  told 
by  the  knowers  of  Brahman, — higher  knowl- 
edge and  lower  knowledge. 

V 

LOWER    knowledge    consists    of    the    Rig- 
Veda,  Yajur-Veda,  Sama-Veda,  Atharva- 
Veda,  phonetics,  ceremonial,  grammar,  etymol- 
ogy, metre,  astronomy.    Higher  knowledge  is 
that  by  which  the  Imperishable  is  known. 

THE  Upanishads  make  a  clear  distinction  between 
secular  knowledge  (Afara)  and  knowledge  born 
of  direct  vision  (Para).  Secular  or  lower  knowledge 
not  only  includes  astronomy,  ceremonial,  rhetoric  and 
all  branches  of  intellectual  study,  but  even  study  of 
the  Sacred  Scriptures.  Any  knowledge  which  is  ac- 
quired through  study  is  classed  as  lower  knowledge, 
because  merely  reading  or  hearing  about  Truth  is  not 
knowing  Truth.  The  Aryan  sages  did  not  discredit 
the  study  of  books,  but  they  recognized  that  theo- 
retical knowledge  must  always  be  inferior  to  knowl- 
edge based  on  direct  experience. 


126  The  Upanishads 

VI 

THAT  which  cannot  be  seen,  which  cannot 
be  seized,  which  has  no  origin  and  no 
attributes,  no  eyes  nor  ears,  no  hands  nor  feet ; 
That  which  is  eternal,  diversely  manifesting, 
all-pervading,  extremely  subtle ;  that  Imperish- 
able One  the  wise  regard  as  the  Source  of  all 
created  things. 

PARA-VIDYA  or  higher  knowledge  is  that  which 
cannot  be  perceived  by  the  senses  or  by  our  ordi- 
nary faculties.  It  dawns  in  the  soul  only  when  senses, 
mind  and  intellect  have  become  pacified  and  full  of 
serenity.  We  do  not  gain  ultimate  realization  until 
we  have  subdued  the  turbulence  and  unrest  of  our 
mind.  At  present  the  greater  part  of  our  effort  at 
knowledge  is  physical.  We  wish  to  see  with  our  eyes, 
grasp  with  our  hands ;  but  through  these  channels  we 
can  gain  only  objective  knowledge;  while  knowledge 
of  God  is  subjective.  This  is  evident  from  the  defini- 
tion of  the  Supreme  given  here.  He  is  unconditioned 
and  beyond  the  reach  of  our  physical  senses,  our  mind 
and  intellect.  To  perceive  Him  we  must  cultivate  an- 
other state  of  consciousness,  which  is  done  through 
the  practice  of  meditation. 

VII 

AS   the  spider  brings   forth  and  draws  in 
(its  thread),  as  herbs  spring   from  the 
earth,  as  hair  grows  on  the  living  body,  like- 


Mundaka-Upanishad  127 

wise  does  the  universe  come  forth  from  the  Im- 
perishable. 

VIII 

THROUGH     Tapas     Brahman     expands ; 
from   this,   food   is   produced ;   from    food 
come  Prana  (energy),  mind,  the  elements,  the 
worlds,  good  works  and  their  immortal  fruit. 

IX 

FROM  that  one  Who  is  all-perceiving  and 
all-knowing,  Whose  Tapas  consists  of  wis- 
dom, are  born  Brahma   (the  Creator),  name, 
form  and  food. 

TAPAS  signifies  spiritual  discipline,  known  vari- 
ously as  penance,  austerity,  etc.  The  word  Tafia 
means  literally  heat,  and  is  employed  in  this  case  be- 
cause spiritual  practice  is  supposed  to  act  on  the  sys- 
tem like  fire,  consuming  all  impurities.  This  interpre- 
tation, however,  cannot  be  applied  to  the  present  text, 
as  it  is  evident  that  Brahman,  the  Supreme  Lord,  has 
no  need  of  purification.  It  is  used  here  to  signify  the 
fire  of  wisdom,  which  like  all  fire  expands.  Out  of 
this  wisdom  fire,  burning  in  the  mind  of  Brahman, 
come  forth,  first  the  creative  power,  and  thence  all 
forms  of  material  manifestation. 


i 

THIS    is    the    Truth :    the    sacrificial    rites 
which  the  sages  found  in  the  hymns  are 
described  variously  in  the  three  Vedas.    Per- 
form them  faithfully,  O  ye  Truth-seekers ;  this 
is  the  path  that  leads  to  the  world  of  good  deeds. 

THIS  chapter  deals  in  greater  detail  with  the  lower 
knowledge  (Apard,  Vidya}  which  according  to 
the  previous  chapter  includes  all  forms  of  intellectual 
study,  ceremonial,  ritual,  etc.  The  Vedic  teaching  is 
divided  into  two  distinct  parts.  The  one,  called  Gndna- 
Kdnda,  deals  with  the  subtlest  phases  of  spiritual 
philosophy ;  the  other,  called  Karma-Kdnda,  shows  to 
those  who  still  cling  to  worldly  things  how  by  the 
performance  of  certain  rites  and  sacrifices  they  may 
attain  the  fulfillment  of  their  desires.  The  altar  fire 
plays  an  important  part  in  these  sacrifices,  because 
fire  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  truest  symbols  of  Divin- 
ity. It  consumes  all  impurities  without  itself  being 
contaminated.  It  has  also  a  deeper  significance.  The 
real  fire  which  every  worshipper  must  light  is  the  fire 
of  wisdom  upon  which  every  morning,  noon  and  night 
he  must  pour  the  oblation  of  his  thoughts,  words  and 
deeds.  This  lower  knowledge  is  described  at  length 
in  order  to  make  plain  to  the  disciple  the  perishable 
nature  of  the  fruits  of  all  sacrifice.  Also  to  test 
whether  his  mind  is  wholly  free  from  desire  for 
earthly  rewards  and  ready  for  the  higher  knowledge. 


Mundaka-Upanishad  129 

II 

WHEN  the  sacrificial  fire  is  kindled  and 
the  flames  rise,  let  a  man  offer  his  ob- 
lations devoutly  between  the  flames. 

Ill 

IF  the  fire  sacrifice  (Agnihotra)  is  not  per- 
formed at  the  new  moon  and  the  full  moon, 
during  the  autumn  season  and  at  harvest  time, 
and  is  not  attended  by  guests,  or  is  without 
offerings,  or  is  without  the  Vaiswadeva  sacri- 
fice, or  is  offered  contrary  to  the  Scriptural  in- 
junctions, it  will  destroy  the  seven  worlds  of  the 
sacrificer. 

CERTAIN  times  and  conditions,  determined  by  the 
position  of  the  stars,  planets  or  satellites,  by  the 
season,  by  the  attendant  circumstances,  were  regarded 
as  peculiarly  auspicious  for  performing  sacrifice.  If 
these  were  not  observed,  then  the  sacrifice  was  consid- 
ered barren  and  the  sacrificer  lost  all  the  benefits  to 
be  derived  in  the  seven  worlds  from  his  sacrifice.  The 
seven  worlds  represent  the  rising  grades  of  heavenly 
pleasure.  We  find  the  same  idea  in  the  Western  ex- 
pression "seventh  heaven." 


K 


IV 

ALI    (dark),    Karali    (terrific),    Mano- 
java  (swift  as  thought),  Sulohita  (very 


130  The  Upanishads 

red),  Sudhumravarna  (deep  purple),  Sphulin- 
gini  (sparkling),  Viswaruchi  (universal  light) 
are  the  seven  flaming  tongues  of  fire. 

V 

IF  a  man  performs  his  sacrifice  in  the  proper 
season  and  pours  out  his  oblations  on  the 
shining  flames,  these  oblations  like  the  rays  of 
the  sun  lead  him  to  where  the  Supreme  Lord  of 
sacrifice  dwells. 

VI 

COME  hither!  Come  hither!  the  bright  ob- 
lations say  to  the  sacrificer  and  carry  him 
by  the  rays  of  the  sun ;  while  with  pleasing 
words  they  praise  him,  saying:  This  is  the 
heavenly  Brahma-world  (Svarga)  which  thou 
hast  earned  by  thy  good  deeds. 

VII 

BUT    all    these    sacrifices    (performed    by) 
eighteen  are  inferior  and  ephemeral.    The 
ignorant  who  regard  them  as  the  highest  good 
and   delight   in   them,   again   and   again   come 
under  the  dominion  of  old  age  and  death. 

IN   the  sacrifices  sixteen  priests   were   supposed  to 
take  part,  together  with  the  sacrificer  and  his  wife, 
making  up  the  eighteen  mentioned  in  the  verse.    Ac- 
cording to  Vedic  injunctions  no  householder's  sacri- 


Mundaka-Upanishad  131 

fice  was  fruitful  unless  his  wife  took  part  in  it  with 
him. 

VIII 

FOOLS  dwelling  in  ignorance,  yet  imagin- 
ing themselves  wise  and  learned,  go  round 
and  round  in  devious  ways,  afflicted  by  many 

troubles,  like  the  blind  led  by  the  blind. 

THIS  same  verse  appears  with  a  slight  variation 
in  the  Katha-Upanishad  (Part  II,  Verse  V)  and 
is  fully  commentated  there.  Here  it  seeks  to  emphasize 
the  danger  of  mere  intellectual  learning  which,  fos- 
tering a  man's  pride,  leads  him  to  believe  that  he  is 
capable  of  guiding  others,  even  in  spiritual  matters, 
although  he  himself  is  devoid  of  spiritual  understand- 
ing. He  wishes  to  be  a  leader,  but  in  the  Vedas  it  is 
insistently  taught  that  no  one  save  the  man  of  direct 
vision  shall  venture  to  lead  others. 

IX 

CHILDREN  (the  unawakened),  in  many 
different  ways  overpowered  by  ignorance, 
imagine  that  they  have  achieved  their  aims. 
These  performers  of  Karma  (sacrifice),  be- 
cause of  their  attachment  to  the  fruits  (of  their 
sacrifice),  after  a  temporary  enjoyment  of  their 
heavenly  reward  fall  back  again  into  misery. 


R 


X 

EGARDING  sacrifice  and  good  works  as 
the  highest  aim,  these  ignorant  men  know 


132  The  Upanishads 

not  the  higher  goal ;  and  after  having  enjoyed 
the  heavenly  pleasures  earned  by  their  good 
deeds,  they  return  to  this  world  or  fall  into  a 
lower  one. 

THEY  whose  sphere  of  vision  is  wholly  limited  to 
this  plane  believe  that  when  they  have  achieved  a 
certain  success  in  the  world,  they  have  gained  all  that 
there  is  to  be  gained ;  and  they  bind  themselves  with 
their  own  vanity  and  egoism.  Even  when  the  great 
Saviours  come  and  strive  to  awaken  them,  they  still 
cling  stubbornly  to  their  own  point  of  view.  We  see 
this  in  the  life  of  Jesus  the  Christ.  The  scholars,  those 
who  knew  the  letter  of  the  law  and  regarded  them- 
selves to  be  wise,  were  the  last  to  accept  His  message. 
Whatever  a  man  earns  by  finite  actions,  however 
good,  cannot  be  permanent ;  so  all  heavenly  pleasure 
must  come  to  an  end  and  he  must  return  once  more  to 
the  plane  of  struggle  and  discipline. 

XI 

BUT  those  wise  men  of  tranquil  heart,  who 
practice  Shraddha  (faith)  and  Tapasya 
(austerity)  in  the  forest,  living  on  alms,  free 
from  all  impurities,  travel  by  the  path  of  the 
sun  to  where  the  immortal,  imperishable  Being 
dwells. 

XII 

LET  a  Brahmana  (God-seeker),  after  hav- 
ing   examined    all    these    words    attained 


Mundaka-Upanishad  133 

through  Karma-Marga  (sacrifices  and  good 
deeds),  become  free  from  all  desires;  realizing 
that  the  Eternal  cannot  be  gained  by  the  non- 
eternal.  In  order  to  acquire  knowledge  (of  the 
Eternal)  let  him  then,  with  sacrificial  fuel  in 
his  hand,  approach  a  Guru  (spiritual  teacher) 
who  is  well-versed  in  the  Vedas  (Scriptures) 
and  who  is  establishd  in  Brahman  (the  Su- 
preme). 

XIII 

TO  him  who  has  thus  approached  rever- 
ently,  whose   heart   is   tranquillized,   and 
whose  senses  are  under  control,  let  the  wise 
Guru  teach  the   real  knowledge  of   Brahman, 
by  which  the  true  and  immortal  Being  is  known. 


SECOND  MUNDAKA 

Part  Jtrut 

i 

THIS  is  the  truth.   As  from  the  blazing  fire 
burst  forth  thousands  of  sparks  like  unto 
fire,  so  also,  gentle  youth,  do  the  various  beings 
spring    forth    from   the   Imperishable   and   re- 
turn thither  again. 

ALL  things  have  their  origin  in  the  Supreme,  and 
the  ultimate  aim  of  all  life  and  effort  is  to  be 
reunited  with  the  Source.  The  play  of  manifesta- 
tion may  seem  to  block  the  consciousness  of  the  un- 
derlying link  between'  the  human  and  the  Divine,  but 
sooner  or  later  all  souls  must  regain  that  conscious- 
ness. 

II 

THAT  effulgent  Being  is  without  form ;  He 
exists  both  without  and  within ;  He  is  un- 
born ;  without  breath  and  without  mind ;  pure, 
higher  than  the  High  Imperishable. 

HERE  is  given  the  definition  of  the  Absolute,  the 
Unconditioned,  known  in  the  Vedic  terminology 
as  Nirgitna-Brahinan.  The  Absolute  cannot  be  cre- 
ated, therefore  He  must  be  without  form ;  because  He 
is  infinite,  all-pervading,  therefore  He  must  be  within 
and  without  all  things.  For  the  same  reason  He  does 


Mundaka-Upanishad  135 

not  breathe,  nor  has  He  need  of  the  instrument  of 
mind  for  thought.  The  High  Imperishable  here  re- 
fers to  the  Creative  Energy,  what  is  known  as  Saguna- 
Brahman,  that  is,  Brahman  with  attributes,  or  the 
personal  God ;  while  Nirguna- Brahman  means  Brah- 
man without  attributes. 

Ill 

FROM  Him  are  born  the  Prjhia  (life-force), 
mind,  all  the  sense  organs,  ether,  air,  fire, 
water    and  the  earth,  support  of  all. 
IV 

FIRE  is  His  head,  sun  and  moon  are  His 
eyes,  the  four  quarters  are  His  ears,  the 
revealed  Vedas  are  His  words,  His  breath  is 
the  air,  His  heart  is  the  universe,  and  from  His 
feet  came  forth  the  earth.  He  is  the  inner  Self 
of  all  living  beings. 

V 

FROM  Him  comes  the  fire,  Whose  fuel  is 
the  sun ;  from  the  moon  come  the  clouds 
(rain)  ;  from  the  earth  come  all  herbs ;  the  male 
places  the  seed  in  the  female,  thus  many  beings 
are  born  from  the  Purusha  (the  Great  Being). 
VI 

FROM  Him  come  the  Rik,  Saman  and  Ya- 
jur    (Vedas),    the    rites    of    initiation,    all 
forms  of  sacrifice,  special  ceremonials,  sacrifi- 
cial gifts  (to  the  priests),  the  appointed  season 


136  The  Upanishads 

(for  sacrifice),  the  sacrificer,  and  all  the  worlds 
which  the  moon  sanctifies  and  the  sun  illu- 
mines. 

VII 

FROM  Him  are  the  various  Devas'born,  the 
Sadhyas  (Genii),  men,  beasts,  birds,  the  up- 
breath  and  the  down-breath,  corn  and  barley, 
austerity,  faith,  truth,  continence,  and  (Scrip- 
tural) injunction. 

VIII 

FROM  Him  are  born  the  seven  Pranas 
(senses),  the  seven  lights  (of  sense-percep- 
tion), the  seven  fuels  (objects  of  perception), 
the  seven  oblations  (acts  of  sense-perception), 
and  the  seven  Lokas  (seats)  where  the  senses 
move  ;  seven  in  each  living  being,  residing  in  the 
heart. 

IX 

FROM  Him  are  born  all  oceans,  mountains 
and    divers    rivers.     From    Him    come    all 
herbs  and  juices,  by  which  the  inner  self  sub- 
sists, together  with  the  gross  elements. 

X 

I  HAT  Being  alone  is  all  this — sacrifice  and 
austerity.     All   is    Brahman,    the    Highest 


Mundaka-Upanishad  137 

IN  these  verses  we  are  given  a  picture  of  cosmic 
creation  rising  out  of  Brahman,  the  Supreme.  The 
first  manifestation  is  Fire  (Agni),  the  giver  of  light 
and  heat.  Heat  brings  forth  life ;  rain  falling  upon 
the  earth  causes  vegetation  to  spring  up,  thus  food  is 
produced ;  from  food  comes  the  procreative  energy. 
All  aspects  of  being — gods,  genii,  men  and  beasts — are 
directly  connected  with  Him.  The  Scriptures  and  all 
rites  and  ceremonies  have  sprung  from  Him.  Every 
form  has  its  origin  in  Him. 

The  seven  senses  referred  to  in  Verse  VIII  are  the 
two  eyes,  two  ears,  two  nostrils  and  mouth.  The 
seven  lokas  or  seats  represent  the  avenues  of  sense 
perception.  The  inner  self  in  Verse  IX  signifies  the 
subtle  body  made  up  of  the  mind  (manas),  intellect 
(buddhi)  and  ego  (ahamkara).  He  who  realizes  the 
all-pervading  and  eternal  Cause  of  Creation  as  abid- 
ing in  his  own  heart,  the  Life  of  his  life,  attains  illu- 
mination even  here  in  this  body. 
Immortal.  He  who  knows  this  (Being)  dwell- 
ing in  the  cave  of  the  heart,  O  gentle  youth,  cuts 
asunder  even  here  the  knot  of  ignorance. 


SECOND  MUNDAKA 


i 

SHINING,  well-seated  in  the  heart,  moving 
in  the  heart,  is  the  Great  Being,  the  Sup- 
port of  all.  In  Him  all  is  fixed,  whatsoever 
moves,  breathes  and  winks.  Know  Him  Who  is 
both  being  and  non-being,  Who  is  beyond  the 
reach  of  human  understanding,  the  highest  and 
most  adorable  One. 

THE  Supreme  Lord  abides  in  every  heart  and 
from  Him  alone  springs  all  activity.  Nothing  can 
exist  apart  from  Him.  In  Him  the  whole  universe  is 
centered.  He  is  both  formful  and  formless.  He  is 
present  in  all  the  forms  we  see,  yet  we  cannot  lay  our 
hands  on  any  form  and  say,  "This  is  God."  He  is  both 
personal  and  impersonal.  He  is  the  manifested  and 
the  unmanifested  (being  and  non-being).  He  is  the 
final  goal  of  all  effort. 

II 

THAT  which  is  effulgent,  subtler  than  the 
subtlest,  on  which  all  worlds  and  those 
who  dwell  in  them  rest,  that  is  the  imperishable 
Brahman  ;  that  is  PrSna  (breath),  that  is  speech 
and  mind.  That  is  the  true,  that  is  the  Immor- 
tal. That  mark  is  to  be  hit.  Hit  it,  O  gentle 
youth  ! 


Mundaka-Upanishad  139 

III 

HAVING  taken  up  the  Upanishad,  the 
great  weapon,  as  the  bow ;  and  having 
fixed  in  it  the  arrow,  sharpened  by  steadfast  de- 
votion ;  then  having  drawn  it  with  the  mind 
fixed  on  the  Supreme,  hit  that  mark — the  Im- 
perishable, O  gentle  youth ! 

IV 

THE  sacred  word  Om  is  the  bow,  the  At- 
man  (Self)  is  the  arrow,  Brahman  (the 
Supreme)  is  said  to  be  the  mark.  That  mark 
should  be  hit  by  one  who  is  watchful  and  self- 
possessed.  Then  as  the  arrow  becomes  one 
with  the  mark,  so  will  he  become  one  with  the 
Supreme. 

WE  have  here  a  poetic  and  archaic  picture  of  the 
process  of  realizing  the  Supreme.  The  study  of 
the  Upanishads  is  ahstract.  They  deal  with  the  In- 
finite. But  the  sages  who  give  the  teaching  contained 
in  them  try  by  similes  to  relate  these  abstract  truths 
with  our  life  here.  The  aim  of  all  our  striving  is  the 
Absolute  and  Eternal :  careful  study  of  the  Scriptures, 
constant  practice  of  meditation,  and  untiring  devotion 
serve  as  the  means  by  which  we  attain  it. 

In  the  next  verse  the  teacher  makes  it  still  more 
definite.  Om,  the  Logos  or  Word  that  was  in  the  be- 
ginning, is  taken  as  the  bow,  the  soul  of  man  is  the 
arrow  and  the  Infinite  is  the  mark.  To  hit  the  mark 


140  The  Upanishads 

the  mind  must  be  wholly  collected.  An  illustration  of 
this  is  given  in  the  MahSbhSrata.  Arjuna  and  his  kins- 
men, it  is  told,  were  called  to  a  contest  in  archery.  The 
target  was  the  eye  of  a  fish  raised  on  a  high  pole. 
Their  teacher  asked  each  one  in  turn,  "What  do  you 
see?"  They  all  described  the  whole  fish.  But  when 
Arjuna  was  asked,  he  replied:  "I  see  only  the  eye  of 
the  fish";  and  he  alone  hit  it.  If  our  mind  is  divided 
or  scattered  we  cannot  meditate ;  and  without  the 
power  of  meditation  we  cannot  gain  direct  perception 
of  the  Imperishable.  When  we  do  gain  this  perception 
what  happens?  We  become  one  with  the  Supreme. 
The  knower  of  God  partakes  of  His  nature. 

V 

IN  Him  are  fixed  the  heaven,  the  earth,  the 
sky  and  the  mind  with  all  the  senses.   Know 
Him  to  be  the  Self  of  all,  and  abandon  all  vain 
words.   He  is  the  bridge  to  immortality. 

THERE  can  be  no  form  of  manifested  life  apart 
from  Him.  When  we  understand  this  and  realize 
Him  as  the  essence  of  our  being,  we  lose  attachment 
for  mortal  things  and  cease  to  lay  so  much  stress  on 
lower  knowledge.  "Vain  words"  here  signifies  theo- 
retical speculation,  book  knowledge,  everything  in  fact 
which  fosters  our  egotism  or  pride  and  does  not  lead 
to  ultimate  Truth.  Thus  knowledge  of  God  serves  as 
the  bridge  over  which  we  cross  from  the  mortal  to  the 
immortal. 


Mundaka-Upanishad  141 

VI 

WHERE  the  nerves  of  the  body  meet  to- 
gether as  the  spokes  in  the  nave  of  a 
wheel,  here  the  Atman  dwells,  variously  mani- 
fested. Meditate  upon  that  Atman  as  Om.  May 
there  be  no  obstacle  in  thy  crossing  to  the  other 
side, of  darkness! 

THE  seat  of  this  Divine  Principle  in  us  is  the 
heart.  This  inner  Principle  or  Soul  is  in  Itself 
unchanging,  but  It  appears  to  take  the  modifications 
of  the  mind,  such  as  joy,  grief,  anger,  jealousy,  hatred, 
love,  etc.  Thus  It  manifests  variously.  Since  Om  is 
the  ultimate  Name  of  the  Supreme  and  Atman  is 
identical  with  the  Supreme,  by  meditating  on  Om 
as  the  Atman  we  direct  our  thoughts  toward  the 
highest  and  pass  beyond  the  darkness  of  ignorance. 

VII 

HE  Who  is  all-knowing  and  all-perceiving, 
to  Whom  belongs  all  the  glory  of  the  uni- 
verse, that  Self  dwells  in  the  heavenly  city  of 
Brahman  (the  heart). 

VIII 

HE  takes  the  form  of  mind  and  becomes 
the  ruler  of  the  body  and  the  senses.  Be- 
ing in  the  heart,  He  sustains  the  body  by  food. 
The  wise,  who  realize  this,  behold  Him  shining 
forth,  immortal  and  all-blissful. 


142  The  Upanishads 

IX 

WHEN  He  is  seen,  Who  is  both  high  and 
low,  the  fetters  of  the  heart  are  broken, 
all    doubts   are   cut   asunder,    and   all    Karma 
(bondage  of  work)  is  destroyed. 

WHEN  the  vision  of  Him,  Who  is  all  there  is, 
high  or  low,  subtle  or  gross,  vast  or  small, 
dawns  within  us,  the  heart  is  at  once  freed  from  the 
fetters  of  attachment,  egotism  and  every  form  of 
selfishness ;  all  the  perplexities  and  doubts  of  the 
mind  are  cleared  away.  This  does  not  happen  when 
we  gain  intellectual  knowledge  only.  The  more  we 
read  and  analyze,  the  more  confused  and  entangled 
the  mind  becomes.  But  when  we  behold  God  directly, 
at  once  all  the  darkness  of  doubt  disappears  in  the 
glory  of  His  self-effulgent  light,  as  the  night  goes 
when  the  morning  comes.  That  brightness  no  one  can 
define.  As  long  as  we  need  someone  to  prove  Truth 
to  us,  we  have  not  found  it.  But  when  His  light  shines 
in  our  heart,  Truth  becomes  self-evident.  Without 
this  light  the  outside  world  will  always  be  full  of 
shadows  for  us ;  but  when  that  light  is  found,  the 
whole  universe  glows  with  its  radiance.  Then  all  the 
chains  of  Karma — past,  present  and  future — are  shat- 
tered, and  the  soul  enjoys  perfect  freedom. 

X 

THAT  stainless  indivisible  Brahman,  pure, 
Light  of  all  lights,  dwells  in  the  innermost 
golden  sheath  (the  core  of  the  heart).  Thus  do 
the  knowers  of  Self  know  Him. 


Mundaka-Upanishad  143 

XI 

THE  sun  does  not  shine  there,  nor  the  moon, 
nor  the  stars,  nor  do  these  lightnings  shine 
there,  much  less  this  fire.    When  He  shines, 
everything  shines  after  Him ;  by  His  light  all 
is  lighted. 

HIS    same    verse    also    appears    in    the    Katha- 
Upanishad,  Part  V,  v.  15. 


T 


XII 

THAT  immortal   Brahman   is   before,   that 
Brahman  is  behind,  that  Brahman  is  to  the 
right  and  to  the  left;  that  Brahman  extends 
above  and  below.   The  Supreme  Brahman  alone 
is  the  whole  Universe. 


THIRD  MUNDAKA 

fart  3Ftral 

i 

TWO    inseparable    companions    of    golden 
plumage  perch  on  the  same  tree.    One  of 
them  eats  the  pleasing  fruit  (of  the  tree),  the 
other  looks  on  as  a  witness  without  eating. 

II 

ON  the  same  tree  (of  life)  man  sits,  drowned 
in  grief,  overpowered  by  his  own  helpless- 
ness.  But  when  he  beholds  the  other,  the  Lord, 
majestic  and  full  of  glory,  then  his  grief  passes 
away. 

THE  two  birds  represent  the  higher  Self  and  the 
lower  self.  The  lower  self  is  absorbed  in  tasting 
the  sweet  and  bitter  fruits  of  this  life,  and  imagines 
it  cannot  escape  from  the  reactions  caused  by  them 
When,  however,  in  its  struggle  it  looks  up  to  that 
other  transcendent  Self  and  perceives  how  alike  they 
are,  it  realizes  its  true  nature.  The  Jiva  or  individual 
soul  is  merely  the  reflex  of  the  Paratndtman  or  Su- 
preme Soul.  The  apparent  man  has  its  root  in  the 
real  man.  As  soon  as  we  realize  this,  the  two  become 
one.  It  is  the  sense  of  ego  in  us  which  divides  and 
separates ;  and  whenever  we  separate  ourselves  from 
our  Divine  part,  we  feel  a  lack.  When,  however,  we 
discover  our  relation  with  the  inexhaustible  Source,  all 


Mundaka-Upanishad  145 

our  selfish  appetites  which  now  drive  us  from  branch 
to  branch  of  the  tree  of  life  will  vanish  and  no  cause 
for  grief  will  remain. 

Ill 

WHEN  the  sun  perceives  that  Being  of 
golden  radiance,  the  Creator,  the  Lord, 
the  Source  of  Brahman  (creative  power),  then 
that  knower,  having  cast  off  all  sin  and  merit, 
and  being  stainless,  attains  the  highest  oneness 
(with  the  Supreme). 

IN   the   Indo-Aryan   conception,   as   sin    is   an   iron 
chain,  so  merit  can  be  a  golden  chain,  which  binds 
us  through  self -righteousness  and  love  of  name  and 
fame.   To  gain  ultimate  union,  one  must  transcend  the 
consciousness  of  both  sin  and  merit. 

IV 

HE  is  the  Prana  (life-force)  animating  all 
living  beings.  He  who  knows  this  be- 
comes truly  wise  and  not  merely  a  talker.  He 
delights  in  the  Self  (Atman),  he  finds  his  high- 
est happiness  in  the  Self,  and  he  is  a  true  per- 
former of  duty.  Verily  he  is  the  foremost  of 
the  knowers  of  Brahman  (the  Supreme). 

WHEN  a  man  beholds  God,  he  gains  true  wis- 
dom and  no  longer  finds  satisfaction  in  vain  dis- 
cussion and  speculation.    His  joy  and  recreation  are 


146  The  Upanishads 

found  in  the  Infinite.  Because  his  mind  and  will  are 
completely  unified  with  the  cosmic  mind  and  will,  he 
fulfills  the  law  spontaneously  and  hence  never  fails  in 
his  duty. 

V 

THIS  pure  and  effulgent  Self,  which  dwells 
within  the  body  and  is  realized  by  sinless 
Sannyasins  (the  spiritually  consecrated),  can 
be  attained  by  truthfulness,  self-subjugation, 
true  knowledge  and  the  steadfast  practice  of 
chastity. 

VI 

TRUTH  alone  conquers,  not  untruth.    By 
Truth  the  spiritual  path  is  widened,  that 
path  by  which  the  Seers,  who  are  free  from  all 
desires,  travel  to  the  highest  abode  of  Truth. 

VII 

THAT  shines  forth,  immeasurable,  divine 
and  inconceivable,  subtler  than  the  subtlest, 
more  distant  than  the  distant,  yet  here  (in  the 
body).   Residing  in  the  cave  of  the  heart,  so  It 
is  seen  by  true  Seers. 

VIII 

HE  is  not  perceived  by  the  eye,  nor  by 
speech,  nor  by  the  other  senses,  nor  by 
austerities,  nor  by  Karma  (sacrifice  and  good 
deeds)  ;  when  the  mind  is  purified  by  the  serene 


Mundaka-Upanishad  147 

light  of  knowledge,  then  alone  does  the  Seer 
perceive  the  indivisible  Brahman  by  means  of 
meditation. 

IX 

THIS  subtle  Self  is  to  be  realized  by  a  pure 
heart  as  seated  there  where  the  PransL 
(life-force)  has  entered  in  five-fold  form.  The 
mind  of  every  creature  is  interwoven  with  the 
senses.  When  it  is  purified,  then  the  Self  shines 
forth  of  itself. 

THE  five  different  forms  through  which  the  vital 
energy  manifests  in  the  body  are  Prana,  Apana 
Samana,  Vyctna  and  Udhdna.  These  represent  in- 
breathing, out-breathing,  equalizing  the  breath,  circu- 
lating the  breath,  and  up-breathing.  By  these  various 
actions  of  the  vital  energy  different  nerve  currents  an 
controlled.  This  has  been  elaborately  worked  out  it 
the  Indian  Yoga  system.  Prana  governs  respiration 
Apana,  the  organs  of  excretion ;  Samana,  digestion ; 
Vyana,  the  general  nerve  currents  of  the  body,  and 
Udhana,  speech.  The  senses  also  are  often  spoken  of 
in  the  Upanishads  as  Prtinas,  because  they  are  the 
avenues  through  which  the  vital  energy  connects  the 
outer  world  with  the  inner.  The  sense  impressions 
gained  through  these  channels  color  all  our  mental 
activities ;  and  not  until  the  mind  is  freed  from  these 
obscuring  impressions  can  the  soul  manifest  its  true 
nature. 


148  The  Upanishads 

X 

WHATEVER  worlds  the  man  of  purified 
mind  covets,  and  whatever  objects  he 
desires,  he  obtains  those  worlds  and  those  ob- 
jects. Therefore,  let  the  man  who  longs  for  his 
spiritual  welfare,  worship  that  one  who  knows 
the  Self. 

WHEN  a  man's  mind  is  purified,  he  realizes  his 
oneness  with  the  cosmic  life  and  will  desire 
only  what  is  in  harmony  with  the  cosmic  will ;  there- 
fore, his  desires  fulfill  themselves  by  the  natural 
course  of  law.  Purity  of  mind  is  most  quickly  gained 
by  "worshipping,"  that  is,  by  revering  and  serving 
those  who  possess  the  higher  knowledge. 


THIRD  MUNDAKA 


i 

HE  (the  Seer  of  Truth)  knows  the  high- 
est abode  of  Brahman,  in  which  all  this 
universe  rests  and  which  shines  with  pure  radi- 
ance. Discerning  men,  without  desire,  by  serv- 
ing reverently  such  a  knower  (of  Self)  go  be- 
yond the  seed. 

THE  Seer  who  has  realized  the  Supreme  and  has 
united  himself  with  the  Source  of  knowledge,  be- 
comes a  connecting  link  between  God  and  the  wor- 
shipper. Whatever  homage  or  reverence  is  paid  to 
him,  he  does  not  take  for  himself.  Being  entirely  free 
from  egotism  and  self-importance,  he  offers  it  all  to 
God.  Those  who  seek  out  and  serve  such  an  illumined 
soul  gradually  partake  of  his  wisdom  and  pass  be- 
yond the  need  of  birth  and  death.  Every  desire  is  a 
seed  from  which  spring  birth,  death  and  all  mortal  af- 
flictions. Illumination  alone  will  destroy  this  seed. 

II 

HE  who  broods  on  objects  of  desire  and 
covets  them,  is  born  here  and  there  ac- 
cording to  his  desires  ;  but  he  whose  desires  are 
fulfilled  and  who  has  known  the  Self,  his  de- 
sires vanish  even  here. 


150  The  Upanishads 

A  SELFISH  man,  who  is  identified  with  the  flesh, 
clings   to    the   small   and    finite ;    and   however 
covetous  of  a  larger  life  he  may  be,  he  cannot  attain 
it.    A  man  may  wish  to  go  to  the  other  shore ;  but  if 
he  does  not  pull  up  the  anchor,  his  boat  will  not  move. 

Ill 

THIS  Self  cannot  be  attained  by  the  study 
of  the  Scriptures,  nor  by  intellectual  per- 
ception, nor  by  frequent  hearing  of   It.    He 
whom  the  Self  chooses,  by  him  alone  is  It  at- 
tained. To  him  the  Self  reveals  Its  true  nature. 

THIS  same  verse  appears  in  the  Katha-Upani- 
shad  (Part  II,  V.  23)  and  is  explained  at  length 
there.  Only  he  whose  heart  is  wholly  purified  and 
made  ready  can  receive  the  revelation ;  therefore  the 
Self  naturally  chooses  that  one  and  no  other.  This 
means  that  we  have  to  give  ourselves  wholly  before  we 
can  get  the  higher  vision. 

IV 

THIS  Self  cannot  be  attained  by  one  who  is 
devoid  of  strength,  or  by  one  who  is  un- 
mindful, or  by  one  whose  austerity  is  without 
renunciation.  But  if  the  wise  man  strives  by 
these  means,  his  Self  enters  into  the  abode  of 
Brahman. 

THE    Upanishads    lay    frequent   emphasis   on   the 
idea  that  no  weak  person  can  attain  Truth ;  but 


Mundaka-U  panishad  151 

this  does  not  mean  mere  physical  weakness.  The 
strength  required  for  spiritual  vision  is  an  inner  vigor. 
The  sages  in  choosing  their  disciples  were  careful  to 
choose  those  who  were  full  of  energy,  faithful  and 
willing  to  do  anything.  Even  arduous  practice  of  aus- 
terity, however,  will  be  unfruitful,  unless  the  heart  is 
freed  from  lower  desires. 


THE  Rishis  (wise  Seers),  after  having  at- 
tained It,  become  satisfied  through  knowl- 
edge. Having  accomplished  their  end  and  being 
free  from  all  desire,  they  become  tranquil.  The 
self-possessed  wise  ones,  realizing  the  all-per- 
vading Spirit  present  in  all  things,  enter  into  all. 

THEY  enter  into  all  because  they  realize  the  uni- 
versal oneness  of  cosmic  life.   They  "see  the  Self 
in  all  beings  and  all  beings  in  the  Self."  (Bhagavad- 
Gitl) 

VI 

SANNYASINS  (spiritually  consecrated 
seekers),  having  apprehended  with  cer- 
tainty the  true  meaning  of  the  knowledge  of 
Vedzmta,  having  purified  their  nature  by  the 
practice  of  renunciation,  and  having  realized  the 
highest  immortality,  after  the  great  end  (death) 
become  liberated  in  the  world  of  Brahman. 


152  The  Upanishads 

VII 

THEIR  fifteen  parts  return  to  their  source ; 
all  the  senses  go  back  to  their  correspond- 
ing deities;  the  Self,  together  with  his  deeds 
and  acquired  knowledge,  becomes  one  with  the 
highest  imperishable  Brahman. 

'T~1HE  fifteen  parts  referred  to  are  Prana  (life), 
JL  faith,  ether,  air,  fire,  water,  earth,  senses,  mind, 
food,  vigor,  austerity,  mantras  (holy  texts),  sacrifice 
and  the  worlds  (of  name  and  form).  Faith  is  men- 
tioned after  PrSna  because  it  is  the  greatest  impelling 
power  in  life.  When  the  final  realization  comes,  the 
various  parts  of  man's  physical,  intellectual  and  moral 
being  are  blended  into  one  harmonious  whole  and  be- 
come united  with  the  Supreme. 

VIII 

AS  flowing  rivers  lose  themselves  in  the 
Ji\.  ocean,  giving  up  name  and  form,  so  also 
the  knower,  freed  from  name  and  form,  attains 
the  highest  effulgent  Purusha  (Being). 

A 5  man's  consciousness  expands  into  the  universal 
consciousness,  the  limitations  of  self -conscious- 
ness necessarily  melt  away ;  but  he  does  not  lose  his 
true  entity.  As  soon  as  he  attains  knowledge  of  his 
true  Self,  he  transcends  the  realm  of  name  and  form 
and  enters  into  conscious  union  with  the  universal 
Source  of  existence  and  knowledge.  As  it  is  said  in  the 


Mundaka-U panishad  153 

Prasna-Upanishad :   "He  becomes  without  parts  and 
immortal." 

IX 

HE  who  knows  that  highest  Brahman  be- 
comes like  unto  Brahman.  In  his  family 
no  one  is  born  who  is  ignorant  of  Brahman.  He 
overcomes  grief ;  he  overcomes  sin ;  and  being 
freed  from  the  knots  of  the  heart,  he  becomes 
immortal. 


THUS  it  is  declared  in  the  following  text . 
Let  this  knowledge  of  Brahman  be  taught 
to  those  only  who  have  performed  sacrifices 
enjoined  in  the  Scriptures ;  who  are  well  versed 
in  the  Vedas ;  who  are  devoted  to  Brahman, 
who  with  faith  have  performed  the  fire  sacrifice 
Ekarshi ;  and  who  have  fulfilled  the  vow  of 
carrying  fire  on  their  head  (Shirovrata). 

THIS  verse  signifies  that  only  those  who  have 
purified  themselves  by  performing  with  proper 
humility  and  devotion  the  various  rites  and  vows 
given  in  the  Scriptures,  will  be  able  to  understand  or 
follow  the  higher  knowledge.  Therefore  to  them  alone 
should  it  be  taught.  To  others  it  will  bring  only  con- 
fusion of  mind  and  impede  their  progress. 


154  The  Upanishads 

XI 

THE  sage  Angiras  in  ancient  times  taught 
this  truth  (to  Saunaka).   It  should  not  be 
studied  by  one  who  has  not  fulfilled  the  vow 
of  self-sacrifice  and  service.    Adoration  to  the 
great  Rishis !  Adoration  to  the  great  Rishis ! 

Here  ends  the  Mundaka-Upanishad. 
OM!   PEACE!   PEACE!  PEACE! 


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